The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a bold decision and stirred a hot pot after opting to release KL Rahul from their IPL 2025 retentions. Following the infamous animated chat between LSG skipper and owner Sanjiv Goenka, the relationship between Rahul and the franchise has gone downhill.
Simultaneously, LSG kept Nicholas Pooran for a whopping Rs 21 crore, hinting that they might make him the new captain. Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav are the other two capped signings at Rs 11 crore each. However, LSG utilizes the full quota of the uncapped players, keeping both Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan. Hence, among all the franchises, LSG’s bowling department looks sorted after the IPL 2025 retentions. After retaining five talents, LSG have just one Right To Match (RTM) card remaining with them. Most importantly, they can only use their RTM card on a capped player since they have already retained two uncapped.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) IPL 2025 retentions
| Player | Price (Crores) (INR) | Capped/Uncapped |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Pooran | 21.00 | Capped |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 11.00 | Capped |
| Mayank Yadav | 11.00 | Capped |
| Ayush Badoni | 4.00 | Uncapped |
| Mohsin Khan | 4.00 | Uncapped |
What is RTM card in IPL 2025?
The Right to Match (RTM) card gives teams a chance to reacquire their players by matching the highest bid placed on them during the auction. For instance, if the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) aim to bring Quinton de Kock back, they can use their RTM card, enabling them to equal the top bid and secure his services.
However, there’s a catch here. According to the updated RTM rule, any franchise bidding on a player can continue raising their offer even after an RTM card is used. If the original team with the RTM card is willing to match the increased bid, the player will return to his former franchise.
LSG to use RTM on KL Rahul?
It was almost certain that LSG would release KL Rahul. LSG’s social media didn’t post for their skipper since ages, and the rumours of partition started as soon as their infamous chat with the LSG owner. And the franchise ultimately opted to release him. However, they still have the option to RTM him back. Will they exercise the option? Well, we don’t think so.
Firstly, KL Rahul won’t go for anything less than Rs 15 crore. Hence, if LSG would’ve wanted to give them high stocks, they would’ve retained him anyway. Despite being the team’s highest run-getter with 1,410 runs, Rahul’s strike rate of 130.6 has been a point of concern for the franchise as well.
More worrying is his powerplay strike rate of 119.15 since 2020, which has often put pressure on the middle order. LSG have chosen to move forward with Nicholas Pooran as their primary retention over Rs 20 crore, signalling a clear shift in their team strategy. There have been talks that Zaheer Khan the new LSG mentor, and Justin Langer weren’t happy with KL Rahul’s strike rate and plan of batting.
More on IPL 2025
RMT card for LSG: Marcus Stoinis or Quinton de Kock?
Two of the best RTM picks for LSG could be Marcus Stoinis and Quinton de Kock. While both are overseas, they will add some huge strike power to the franchise. While Pooran is likely to be the number three or four batter, him partnering with someone like Stoinis could be a boon for LSG. For LSG, Stoinis hit 952 runs at a strike rate of 148.52, which is his best for any IPL franchise. All this despite the fact that LSG’s Ekana Stadium isn’t conducive to ball striking. The only thing that could go against Stoinis is his age (35).
As for Quinton de Kock, he scored 901 runs at a SR of 143.24. While he may have past his peak, De Kock is still a threatening commodity. As an overseas opener, the South African has an experience of 369 T20 matches. He will provide great starts to LSG and his RTM price might not be that expensive as well.
RMT card for LSG: Dark horses
Who could be LSG’s RTM pick that can really catch you by a surprise. Well, Krunal Pandya could be the one. He is a street smart cricketer, who already knows the culture of LSG. In fact, he captained as well in the absence of KL Rahul. Although he only has 25 wickets in 36 innings, Pandya’s economy is as miserly as 7.73. Pandya could be an ideal pick around Rs 5-6 crore, given his vast experience of 127 IPL matches.
Another dark horse pick could be Shamar Joseph. Joseph. The bustling pacer was the replacement pick for LSG when Mark Wood was ruled out. Although he played just a single game, Joseph’s best is yet to come. For the West Indies, he has 10 wickets in 8 innings at a SR of 15.0. Joseph operates at 150kmph or above and he could form a lethal bowling partnership with Mayank Yadav. Phew, no respite for the batters.
Which players should the LSG use RTM on?
- Marcus Stoinis/Quinton de Kock/Krunal Pandya
Released players by LSG
KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, K. Gowtham, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Mark Wood, David Willey, Shivam Mavi.
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