Sanjiv Goenka paves the way for KL Rahul's exit from LSG in IPL 2025!! Batsman to join Virat Kohli
Senior India batter KL Rahul is set to leave his current Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants before the next season of IPL. Rahul could likely rejoin Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team for which he made his IPL debut way back in 2013.
The IPL will have a mega auction before the next season of the tournament, and the tournament's governing council is yet to decide the rules of retention. Many teams can likely witness wholesale changes in their squads with some teams aiming to create teams from scratch.
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KL Rahul set to leave Lucknow Super Giants
A report in Dainik Jagran says that Rahul's relationship with his team owner Sanjiv Goenka hasn't improved since the latter's famous outburst of emotions in IPL 2024. The incident happened after an IPL 2024 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
SRH chased down the target set by LSG in less than 10 overs with all wickets remaining, which led to Goenka having animated discussions with LSG's captain KL Rahul after the match. Rahul was seen listening to his team owner patiently and trying to explain the situation.
However, the incident went viral on social media with Sanjeev Goenka facing lots of wrath for his behaviour with a star Indian cricketer. A few days after the incident, Sanjeev Goenka tried to settle down the issue by hosting Rahul for dinner at his home in Delhi.
KL Rahul and Sanjeev Goenka warmly shared a hug and both were seen smiling and forgetting what had happened a few nights before. The video had gone viral on social media with people giving mixed reactions.
LSG assistant coach Lance Klusener also dismissed the rumours of any rift between the team owner and the team captain. Klusener referred it to as just a 'robust discussion' between two cricket lovers and everything is good in the team
"I don't see any problem with some robust discussion between two cricket lovers. So for us, I guess it's just a storm in a teacup. We love a robust discussion. I think that's how teams get better. So, it's not a big thing for us," Klusener had said at that time.
But the incident had already created differences between Goenka and Rahul, according to the reports, despite both of them denying any rumours of possible differences.
Will KL Rahul join RCB?
According to a report in National Daily, Rahul could rejoin his former IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the IPL 2025 season. RCB is currently looking for a new captain as their current skipper Faf du Plessis is already 40 years old and doesn't have the age on his side.
Du Plessis joined RCB in the 2022 season of the IPL as a captain replacing Virat Kohli for the role. With Rahul currently 32, he could be a potential long-term option for RCB. The 32-year-old batter has enough experience of being a captain as well. Not only has he led LSG, but he has also led India in a few internationals.
Furthermore, Dinesh Karthik's retirement has opened up a potential role for the wicketkeeper's spot in RCB's playing XI. Rahul can be a perfect candidate for that role as his wicketkeeping has significantly improved over the years.
