 "KL Rahul scored 520 runs from 14 matches for LSG in IPL 2024. PTI image")
Amid discussions surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL) retentions ahead of the 2025 auction, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul on Monday met team owner Sanjiv Goenka at the franchise’s office in Kolkata. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Rahul’s meeting with Goenka went on for approximately one hour.
On 8 May this year, Rahul and Goenka
were involved in an animated discussion
following LSG’s 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024. This was the first formal meeting between the two
since that incident.
As per the report, although the specific details of the meeting are not known yet, one of the major points were on the possible retention of Rahul as well as team combinations.
It has been speculated that the wicketkeeper-batter could return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but so far, details on that aspect remain unconfirmed. With the auction slated for later this year, the BCCI are expected to announce a decision on the retention policy building up to the event.
The number of players a team can retain remains unclear at the moment. Another aspect that could prove pivotal in terms of player retentions is the Right to Match (RTM) option.
It has also been reported that LSG could bring in former India pacer Zaheer Khan as a mentor and should he become so, he will work with head coach Justin Langer. In his three seasons with LSG, Rahul has led the franchise.
The 32 year-old recently played in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he scored 31 runs, while enduring a two-ball duck in the second ODI. The Karnataka cricketer will next be in action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will play for Shubman Gill-led Team A.