KL Rahul's three-year tenure with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) came to a close on IPL 2025 Retention Day, as he was one of the players released by the franchise. Numerous reports had confirmed Rahul's departure from LSG, which did not come as a surprise. Rahul had joined LSG prior to the IPL 2022 mega-auction for a hefty sum of Rs 17 crore and captained the team for three seasons.
LSG had a disappointing performance in IPL 2024, failing to advance to the second round. Following a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka expressed his displeasure and engaged in a heated discussion with the captain on the field.
During a match where LSG could only muster a total of 165 runs, Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully chased down the target of 166 in just 9.4 overs without losing a single wicket. As a result, LSG finished in seventh place on the points table.
Rahul has now addressed the incident for the first time, revealing that it had a significant impact on the team as a whole.
"Whatever happened on the field after the game wasn’t the nicest thing to be part of or something that anyone wants to see on the cricket field. So yeah, I think it did affect the entire group," Rahul told Star Sports in an interview.
Rahul is set to participate in the upcoming IPL auction for the first time since 2018. During his last auction appearance, Rahul secured a lucrative deal with Punjab Kings for a staggering Rs 11 crore.
Lucknow Super Giants have made strategic decisions in retaining their players, keeping five capped players and holding onto one Right to Match card for a potential uncapped player. Among their retained players, Nicholas Pooran commanded a significant sum of Rs 21 crore, while Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav were retained for Rs 11 crore each.
Additionally, Lucknow Super Giants have shown faith in young talent by retaining uncapped players Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan, who will each receive a payment of Rs 4 crore.
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