The last season didn’t end on a happy note, but senior India batter KL Rahul has expressed his intentions about being retained to LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, although no such assurances have been given by the top boss. Rahul, a former national team vice-captain, is no longer in the scheme of things as far as India’s T20 format is concerned. Rahul led LSG to play-offs in the first two IPL seasons, but it was widely believed that Gautam Gambhir’s strategic acumen had a lot to do with it rather than his leadership, which got thoroughly exposed in the third season.
Why KL Rahul met LSG owner?
As per PTI sources, KL Rahul wants to be retained for the upcoming IPL 2025. However, the LSG owner, Sanjeev Goenka, is waiting for the IPL retention rules to be revealed to take the final call.
“Yes KL Rahul came to meet Dr Goenka in Kolkata and told him that he wants to be retained. However, till BCCI comes up with a retention policy, LSG management wouldn’t want to chalk out their plans,” an IPL Governing Council member, privy to developments in LSG, told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“Look, Rahul wants retention, but till LSG knows how many are to be retained and what’s the new purse, they can’t commit anyone,” the IPL source said.
Last year, Rahul’s animated conversation with Goenka, after a heavy defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, went viral although lot of people later called it a “frank discussion between owner and skipper.”. It can be said that even if Rahul is retained by LSG, chances of which are minimal at the moment, he won’t be the first retention.