KL Rahul reveals the reason behind leaving LSG: ‘I wanted to play where I could feel free’

Senior Indian batter KL Rahul has recently opened up about his decision to part ways with Lucknow Super Giants before the IPL 2025 mega auction. After joining LSG in 2022 and being appointed as the team's captain, Rahul successfully led them to the playoffs in his debut season. However, the 2024 season was not as successful, with the team finishing in the bottom half of the points table due to Rahul's dip in form. An incident during a league stage match against SRH, where LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka's behavior towards Rahul caused further strain, contributed to the decision to go separate ways. Despite both parties resolving their differences afterwards, it was mutually agreed that Rahul would enter the upcoming IPL auction, signaling the end of his time with Lucknow Super Giants.

KL Rahul asserted that he wants to explore options in the auction and hopes to find a team where he can play with some freedom with a lighter atmosphere.

"I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom, where the team atmosphere could be something lighter. Sometimes you need to move away and find something good for yourself," KL Rahul said in a promo on Star Sports.

His stint with LSG saw him play 14 matches in the IPL 2024 season, where he scored 520 runs at an average of 37.14. However, his strike rate of 136.13 faced considerable criticism, with many arguing that his approach often hampered the team's overall performance. The franchise has opted to retain Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan.

Sanjiv Goenka discussed the rationale behind the retentions, highlighting that keeping Nicholas Pooran was an obvious choice, reflecting the franchise's commitment to maintaining a strong core.

"Our first retention, which was an automatic choice, happened in less than two minutes. That was Nicholas Pooran. We have two capped retentions: Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav, and two uncapped: Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. It was a process involving Zaheer Khan, Justin Langer, and the analyst," Goenka said in the video.

A total of 1,574 players ahead of the IPL mega auction to be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.