KL Rahul to be removed from LSG Captaincy in IPL 2025
In IPL 2024, a significant controversy erupted when Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjeev Goenka was in a tense discussion with captain KL Rahul following their humiliating defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH chased down 166 runs in just 9.4 overs, winning by 10 wickets, prompting Goenka’s visible disappointment and criticism of the team’s performance.
LSG spinner Amit Mishra, in a podcast with YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra, revealed that Goenka expressed frustration over consecutive poor performances, including a massive loss to KKR and the swift defeat against SRH, likening the latter to a net practice session. Mishra downplayed the incident as overhyped by the media, suggesting that while Goenka criticized the team’s lack of fight, it wasn’t an extraordinary issue.
Despite speculation, no official announcement regarding KL Rahul’s retention for IPL 2025 has been made. Mishra hinted at the team’s possible search for a new captain, emphasizing the need for someone with a strong T20 mindset and a selfless approach, regardless of their status in the Indian team. “LSG will definitely see a better captain than KL Rahul, 100%,” Mishra said on the podcast, citing someone like Shubman Gill is also a bad captain. Hence, the Giants wouldn’t likely retain Rahul for the next season, leaving the door open for a new team, possibly RCB.
KL Rahul’s IPL Captaincy for Punjab and Lucknow
Under KL Rahul’s captaincy, notable setbacks have occurred across five campaigns with Punjab Kings and Lucknow Giants. During his tenure with Punjab Kings from 2020 to 2021, Rahul led the team in 27 matches, experiencing challenges with 15 losses and achieving their best result of finishing 6th and 8th in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, respectively. Despite his brilliance with the bat, the team struggled to consistently succeed under his leadership, reflecting a win percentage of 37.07%.
When Rahul transitioned to Lucknow Giants in 2022, he faced renewed challenges. While achieving a win percentage of 54.05%, he also encountered periods of disappointment. Despite leading the team to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, Lucknow Giants fell short of clinching the IPL title, marking two consecutive campaigns without claiming the championship. Moreover, LSG failed to reach the playoffs in the last season, which might let the LSG think-tank relieve Rahul from the captaincy duties.
KL Rahul’s IPL 2025 Possibility
However, there hasn’t been any official confirmation or announcement regarding KL Rahul returning to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) where he started his IPL career. Player transfers and team changes in the IPL often depend on various factors, including team strategies, player availability, and auction dynamics. While returning to RCB remains a possibility in future IPL seasons, it would depend on mutual interests and team decisions closer to the time of auctions or transfers.
