The captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), KL Rahul, is reportedly parting ways with the franchise before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Despite leading the team to playoffs in two out of three seasons, Rahul found himself in a heated discussion with the team's owner, Sanjiv Goenka, following a loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
According to a report by Dainik Jagran, Goenka extended an invitation to Rahul for dinner after the incident, but tensions remain high between the two as the mega auction approaches.
The retention policy for franchises ahead of the mega auction is still uncertain, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expected to make a decision by the end of July or the first week of August during a meeting with representatives from all teams.
Rahul has had affiliations with four IPL franchises, including LSG. During his time with the SRH squad in 2013, he made his debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He spent four seasons with RCB before being selected by Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab). Rahul captained PBKS in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, achieving a winning percentage of 44.44. Despite this success, he opted not to be retained by PBKS and instead signed with LSG. Unfortunately, LSG fell short of making it to the playoffs in the previous season due to net run rate (NRR) considerations.
It is improbable that RCB will retain a 40-year-old Faf du Plessis as their captain. The Karnataka-born wicketkeeper-batter may be a potential candidate for the leadership role at RCB. The presence of both Rahul and Virat Kohli in the top order would allow RCB to accommodate an additional overseas player in the playing XI.
Rahul's tenure with RCB spanned from 2013 to 2016, during which he amassed 417 runs from 14 innings at an impressive average of 37.90, including four half-centuries. His strike rate for RCB stood at 145.29. It was his performances in the IPL that earned him a debut cap in limited-overs cricket for India.
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