After seeing a lot of discussions, especially in IPL 2024, about the brand new team Lucknow Super Giants, who are rightly in turmoil with speculations about the sourness between KL Rahul and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, it seems they might be looking to get Rohit Sharma on board. After an amazing first two seasons in 2022 and 2023, where they ended up in the playoffs, IPL 2024 came as a shock for them as they failed to make an impact and slipped to seventh place.
To build a strong team for IPL 2025, they need to stabilize their lineup. There are a few players they can retain, but many they can release. So, who are the players who may leave the LSG team? Let’s take a look at three top names for whom IPL 2024 was their last season with LSG.
Players LSG might release ahead of IPL 2025
KL Rahul
Currently, there is no doubt about this name, as there are more than 100 reports suggesting that KL Rahul may be released from LSG after serving as captain for three years. Rahul who has played various innings for this team and led them to success, especially in the first season, where he scored 616 runs and guided the team to the playoffs. However, in 2023, he faced some challenges with injuries that kept him out of the team after playing nine matches.
Although he contributed over 500 runs in the 2024 season, it wasn’t enough to help the team reach the top four.
His captaincy was under scrutiny throughout the season, particularly regarding his bowling rotations. After a ten-wicket loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, LSG’s owner couldn’t resist coming into the limelight, resulting in a heated argument. Considering all permutations and combinations, it is clear that LSG may not retain him and will look for a new top-order batter, and most importantly, a new captain.
Deepak Hooda
Having 118 IPL games of experience, Hooda, like Rahul, did a decent job in the first season, especially coming down the order and contributing with the bat. However, Hooda’s form with both bat and ball suddenly saw turbulence. He was used as the fifth option bowler and mostly as a slogger in the game. After an impressively good season in 2022, where he made 451 runs and strengthened the middle order, he did not have a good outing in 2023 and 2024.
It is reasonable to say that his name almost looks confirmed for release. While discussing the possibility of releasing a player, it seems likely that this experienced name may not be picked by the franchise.
Quinton de Kock
De Kock’s name could be debatable, especially if LSG releases a few top batters, as they will need others to balance the lineup. However, looking at his IPL 2024 performances, which surely do not instill confidence in the franchise, he made just 250 runs in the 11 games he played, with a strike rate of 134. This is lower than what you would expect from any opener in the T20 format.
Also, the inclusion of fresh faces could be one reason this star player may not be picked. As mentioned, nothing is confirmed yet, but we can certainly expect some changes in the IPL 2025 auction, which may bring hundreds of surprises, from retention policies to the inclusion of old rules. For now, with a limited number of retain options available, there is no doubt that LSG will look at other names besides those mentioned here.
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