The future of KL Rahul with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seems to be in clouds of uncertainty. Despite being a cornerstone of the franchise since its inception, questions have arisen about his continued role, particularly as captain. The buzz for IPL 2025 is already fever high with LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka revealing that Zaheer Khan will be the team’s mentor.
Recent reports suggested that LSG might retain Rahul for the upcoming IPL season but consider a change in leadership. This speculation intensified after a heated exchange between KL Rahul and owner Sanjeev Goenka during the previous season, IPL 2024.
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However, in a recent interview, Goenka shed some light on the situation. He focuses on the strong bond he shares with Rahul, calling him “family,” and expressed his commitment to retaining him within the LSG family. While Goenka acknowledged that the decision on captaincy and player retention is still pending, given the upcoming BCCI retention rules, he assured that Rahul’s future is secure at LSG.
“Look, I’ve been meeting KL regularly over the last three years. I’m a little surprised this meeting got so much attention. As I’ve said we have not taken any call till the retention rules are out,” Goenka told reporters.
“But KL has been an integral and important part of the LSG family since inception. He’s played a very important role. He’s like family and will be family.” When asked about player retention and captaincy, Goenka said they are yet to arrive at a decision and are waiting for the BCCI to release the rules regarding retention.
“We have all of September, October and November to decide that. Let the policies be out. We have not even thought about the team going forward, whether retention will be three-four-five or six, we have no clue,” Goenka said.
“Let us see, there is enough time, so bit by bit. Whatever decisions we take today will impact us for the medium term future, so it has to be very well thought out and considered.
“There is enough time for it so it’s too early. Let the BCCI announce the policy first, then there will be discussions.”
Asked whether they are going to press the “reset mode” under the newly-appointed mentor Zaheer Khan, he said: “You always try and improve and that is a constant endeavour. When you have a mega auction, there is bound to be a reset but you want to retain the core as much as possible you can. Let’s see how it goes.
“One doesn’t know which way what goes. Certainly the coach (Justin Langer) continues, Lance Kluesener (assistant coach), Jonty Rhodes (fielding coach) also continue. We are delighted for Morne Morkel and Gautam Gambhir, very pleased they have joined the national team,” Goenka said.
Goenka’s statement offers some clarity amidst the rumors, reconfirming Rahul’s importance to the franchise. While the captaincy question remains unanswered, the star batter’s place within the LSG family seems secure for the foreseeable future. As the BCCI finalizes the retention rules, the team will have the opportunity to make informed decisions about their squad for the upcoming season.
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