IPL 2025: KL Rahul unlikely to be retained by Lucknow Super Giants

KL Rahul, who has captained the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) since IPL 2022, is unlikely to be retained by the franchise and is expected to enter the upcoming mega auction for the 2025 season. 

 

Questions have arisen about whether Rahul will be among LSG's retained players, his desire to stay with the team, or if he might remain with the squad but lose the captaincy. This speculation follows LSG's disappointing seventh-place finish in IPL 2024, after they reached the playoffs in their first two seasons.  Check India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE SCORE and MATCH UPDATES HERE     KL Rahul for LSG over the years 

KL Rahul Batting and fielding stats for LSG
Matches	Not out	RUNS	HS	AVG	BF	SR	100	50	4S	6S	CT	ST
132	20	4683	132*	45.47	3479	134.61	4	37	400	187	76	7

Rahul has been LSG's top scorer over the past three seasons, ranking second in IPL 2022 with 616 runs and leading the team again in 2024 with 520 runs, despite missing the latter part of the 2023 season due to injury. However, his strike rate, which was 136.12 in IPL 2024, has faced criticism as the league has seen higher scoring rates recently.

 

Following a heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka was seen having a heated discussion with Rahul on the field, raising concerns about Rahul's future. Although the exchange appeared tense, it was reportedly amicable, with Goenka expressing disappointment but affirming Rahul as "family" at an event in Kolkata while remaining non-committal about player retention.  October 31 is the deadline for all the ten teams for when they need to submit their lists of retained players to IPL. The teams are allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the auction before the 2025 season, out of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals.