Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul has become the talk of the town after his conversation with owner Sanjiv Goenka went viral on the internet. This came after the team suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday (May 8).
After the end of the game, Sanjiv Goenka did not go easy on captain KL Rahul. The franchise owner appeared angry and threw a punch at the Lucknow Super Giants captain. The video went viral all over the internet and many criticized Goenka for the way he treated the Indian cricketer.
Amid all the saga, a report in PTI has sparked a fresh controversy. It is learned that KL Rahul’s future as captain is under scrutiny. The opening batsman could step down as captain of the team ahead of Lucknow Super Giants’ final two games in the tournament.
The reports also claimed that Lucknow Super Giants are not interested in retaining KL Rahul ahead of the 2025 IPL auction. The skipper was hired ahead of the auction in 2022 for a record sum of Rs 17 crore. The franchise will let him go and the batsman will most likely be a part of the mega auction.
A source claims that the LSG management has not taken any decision yet but they would welcome the decision if KL Rahul steps down as the team leader. Speaking to PTI, he stated:
“There are still five days until the next game against DC. No decision has been taken yet but it is understood that the management will not mind if Rahul plans to focus only on his batting in the remaining two matches.”
If KL Rahul decides to give up leadership, it is likely that Nicholas Pooran will captain the side. He was the team’s vice-captain and also led the team early on when the regular captain was sidelined due to injury.
KL Rahul has been in good form in the ongoing IPL 2024. He has scored 460 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 136.09. He was widely criticized for his poor batting average and also missed out on being part of the Indian team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. It remains to be seen what his future will be with the Lucknow Super Giants.
The Lucknow Super Giants are still in the race for the playoffs
Even after the defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants are still in the race. They are currently 6th in the points table with 6 wins and 6 losses and an NRR of -0.769.
To make it to the playoffs, Lucknow Super Giants need to win their next two games of IPL 2024 as they will have 16 points. They would also want Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings both teams to lose one of their remaining games. They next face Delhi Capitals on Tuesday (May 14).