IPL Auction 2025: KL Rahul closes the door on LSG's top retention offer; CSK joins the race with RCB

Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has decided to part ways with the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025 mega auction). Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have shown interest in signing KL Rahul.

KL Rahul was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants for ₹17 crore as a draft pick before the last mega auction and was appointed as the team’s captain ahead of the IPL 2022 season. Under his leadership, LSG reached the playoffs in their first two seasons but fell short in the most recent IPL season.

LSG Ready To Offer Top Retention Bracker To KL Rahul

According to a recent Times of India report, KL Rahul has decided to leave Lucknow Super Giants, citing professional and personal reasons. Despite being offered the top retention slot by LSG, Rahul chose to step away, according to the report.

"LSG were ready to offer top retention bracket to Rahul, but Rahul eventually decided to move on due to personal and professional reasons," a source told TOI.

Four Franchises Have Shown Interest In Acquiring Rahul

KL Rahul, who captained the Lucknow Super Giants for three seasons and led them to the playoffs twice, will enter the auction pool. He is expected to attract bids from various franchises, including Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings.

"At the moment, there are four franchises who have expressed their interest in him-Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, and the Chennai Super Kings. Expect all four to go hard for him in the auction," a source told TOI.

KL Is Leading Run Scorer For Lucknow Super Giants

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has scored 4,683 runs in the IPL at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 134. However, his strike rate has raised concerns, as he hasn't scored at a strike rate of over 140 since 2019. The right-handed batter scored a disappointing strike rate of 113 during the IPL 2023 season.

In the IPL 2024, the 32-year-old from Karnataka played 14 matches and scored 520 runs at an average of 37.14 and a strike rate of 136.13, with four scores over 50 and a highest score of 82.

Rahul's Performance By Team In IPL

Rahul made his IPL debut in 2013 with Royal Challengers Bangalore. He moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad before the IPL 2024 season but returned to RCB by 2016. Rahul joined Kings in 2018, where he captained the team. Over four seasons with Punjab, Rahul consistently scored in the tournament.

Also read: IPL Auction 2025: Andre Russell-Kolkata Knight Riders deal falls flat