Kolkata : As per reports, Lucknow Super Giants are unlikely to retain their skipper KL Rahul ahead of IPL 2025.
Rahul, who captained LSG for 3 seasons, guiding them to 2 playoffs, won’t be retained as per multiple reports and sources close to the franchise.
KL Rahul saw a dip in his form from last year. Not only did he fail drastically with Bat but also LSG got eliminated for 1st time in league stage under his leadership.
He also had a fall out with LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka after a trashing defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Speculations sparked from that time that Rahul won’t be retained next year.
After several such rumours and speculations regarding Rahul’s retain, a source close to the franchise stated, “We have discussed KL’s role with the team management multiple times, and there is consent that we will move forward without him.”
Rahul, one of the most experienced Indian batters in the league, will likely be one of the high-profile names in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. His strike rate in recent seasons has been a point of contention.
While he scored 616 runs in 2022 at a strike rate of 135.38, his form dipped in the following season, where his strike rate fell to 113.22. The 32-year-old managed 520 runs at a strike rate of 136.13 in the 2024 edition, but a mid-season injury in 2023 raised concerns about his consistency.
So far, Rahul has played 132 IPL matches, amassing 4,683 runs with a strike rate of 134.61, including four centuries and 37 fifties. Despite his strong track record, the franchise seems prepared to move on and explore other options.
While Rahul is expected to be released, the franchise is reportedly keen on retaining 3 key players: pace sensation Mayank Yadav, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, and West Indies’ wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran who can also serve as future skipper for the franchise.
However, Rahul not in retention list doesn’t imply that the franchise won’t bid for him on auction table. The official statement from the franchise is yet to come.
