KL Rahul's official statement on IPL trade released, which team will he land up in?

Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul gave a witty one-liner regarding his Indian Premier League (IPL) career during his appearance on the 2 Sloggers YouTube channel. Rahul hinted at joining a new team during the trade window ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, which is likely to take place in December.

The right-handed batter last played for the India National Cricket Team during the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia. Rahul recorded scores of 38 and 11 in the opening two games and didn’t get a chance to bat in the third and final match. India lost the series 1-2 to Australia.

Not Far Away from Aaron Finch - KL Rahul

KL Rahul joked that he isn’t too far away from Aaron Finch in terms of the number of teams he has represented. The former Australian captain played for nine teams in the IPL, the most by any player in the tournament’s history.

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This cracked me up 😭🤣🤣

Never expected such witty one-liners from KL 🤣 pic.twitter.com/sOkvkRZ5BB

— Varun #GlobeTrotter🔱🦁 (@varunklstan) October 28, 2025

Rahul made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2013. He joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) the following season and returned to RCB in 2016. The batter was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ₹11 crore in the 2018 auction. He later went on to play for two more teams in the IPL.

KL Rahul Reveals His “Worst-Ever IPL Season”

KL Rahul was the first-ever draft pick of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when the franchise joined the IPL in 2022. The franchise signed him for ₹17 crore and appointed him as captain. Rahul led LSG to a third-place finish in their debut season.

The Karnataka-born cricketer sustained a serious tendon tear in his right thigh while fielding during a match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2023. The injury required surgery and forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

He parted ways with the Lucknow-based franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The opener scored 1,410 runs for LSG at an impressive average of 41.47 and a strike rate of 130.68, including two centuries and ten half-centuries. Rahul admitted that 2023 was his “worst-ever IPL season.”

KL Rahul Has Represented Five IPL Franchises in His Career

KL Rahul faced criticism for his strike rate during his stint with Punjab Kings, despite being among the league’s most consistent run-getters. He was released after the 2021 season.

Ahead of IPL 2025, Rahul was acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹14 crore in the mega auction. Batting in the middle order, he scored 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72, his best in seven years.

Rahul has represented five franchises, scored over 500 runs in five consecutive seasons, and is the only player to register centuries for three different teams. He became the fastest player to reach 5,000 IPL runs. The veteran batter also smashed a 14-ball half-century in the tournament.

Also read: "We will wait and see" - Alex Carey hits back hard at Stuart Broad's 'the worst Australian team' remark