Ahead of the upcoming IPL mega auction in November, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to call time on their captain, KL Rahul. This decision was taken after a careful analysis of Rahul's performance over the last three seasons, since his arrival in 2022, when he was made the leader of the franchise.
According to reports, LSG's management, including mentor Zaheer Khan and head coach Justin Langer, has scrutinised Rahul's statistics and found a concerning trend: when he batted for long periods and scored runs, the team has frequently lost matches. Sources claim his strike rate has not been in tandem with the pace of modern T20 cricket. The Impact Player rule, which sees teams increasingly prioritise aggressive batting at the top of the order, makes Rahul's slower approach less viable.
While Rahul scored 520 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2024, his strike rate was the lowest among players who have scored over 400 runs in the tournament this season. LSG has been thinking about other options for their future lineup. One of the top three retentions for LSG is expected to be young pace sensation Mayank Yadav, alongside Nicholas Pooran and Ravi Bishnoi. Yadav has made a big impression since joining the team, and management sees him as a promising talent with huge potential.
LSG, however, have not closed the door on Rahul and have not ruled out the possibility of going back for him in the auction. On auction day, the franchise may change their bidding strategy depending on their budget and needs. Apart from Yadav, LSG will look to hold on to uncapped players Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan, as they will want to keep a balanced squad going forward.
(This report is not verified by DNA)
