KL Rahul’s future with the Lucknow Super Giants is in jeopardy as the franchise is unlikely to retain him ahead of the upcoming IPL mega auction for the 2025 season. Despite being LSG’s captain since IPL 2022 and their top run-scorer over three seasons, the team’s disappointing seventh-place finish in IPL 2024 has raised questions about his retention and leadership.
Under Rahul’s captaincy, LSG initially performed well, reaching the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. However, this past season saw a sharp decline in performance, culminating in a significant defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The aftermath of this loss saw LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka engaging in an animated discussion with Rahul on the field, sparking speculation about the captain’s future. While reports suggest the conversation was amicable, it has led to increasing uncertainty regarding Rahul’s role within the team.
Rahul has been a consistent performer, scoring 616 runs in IPL 2022, and again leads the run-scoring charts for LSG in the 2023 season, where he was sidelined due to injury for the latter half, and in 2024, with 520 runs. Despite his scoring prowess, his strike rate of 134.61 in the last season has come under scrutiny, especially in a league that has seen significantly higher scoring rates.
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In an event earlier this year, Goenka referred to Rahul as “family,” yet he has remained non-committal regarding player retention. A recent meeting between Rahul and LSG’s owners reportedly did not yield a clear commitment from the player about accepting a retention offer.
The deadline for IPL franchises to submit their lists of retained players is October 31, with teams allowed to retain up to six players, including a maximum of five capped internationals. As the clock ticks down, all eyes will be on LSG’s decision regarding Rahul’s future, with a mega auction looming on the horizon.