The last season did not end on a happy note but veteran Indian batsman KL Rahul has expressed his intentions to be retained by Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka, though the top boss has not given any such assurances. Rahul, a former vice-captain of the national team, is no longer in the scheme of things as far as India’s T20 format is concerned. Rahul led LSG to the play-offs in the first two seasons of IPL but it was widely believed that Gautam Gambhir’s strategic acumen had a lot to do with it rather than his leadership, which was fully exposed in the third season.
“Yes, Rahul came to Kolkata and met Dr Goenka at RPG head office. He has clearly told him that he wants to be retained. However, until the BCCI comes up with a retention policy, the LSG management will not want to firm up its plans,” an IPL Governing Council member, privy to developments at LSG, told PTI on condition of anonymity.
“Look, Rahul wants to retain, but until LSG knows how many will be retained and what the new purse is, they cannot commit anyone,” the IPL source said.
LSG management was not available for comment.
Last year, Rahul’s animated conversation with Goenka after a heavy defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad went viral, though many people later termed it as a “frank discussion between owner and captain”.
It can be said that even if Rahul is retained by LSG, whose chances are minimal at the moment, it will not be the first retention.
Retaining someone like Rahul as the first choice could mean a sum of Rs 18-20 crore (if the team prize is increased) would be deducted from the auction prize. No franchise, which is currently eyeing X-factor players at the top, would invest that much in Rahul.
If Royal Challengers Bengaluru had seriously wanted to sign him, they would not have come to Kolkata on their own. It is believed that Rahul has not piqued the interest of many franchises with his batting style, which is sadly outdated in T20 cricket.
Aside from that, his leadership in all the franchises he has represented has not worked out exactly well.
Last but not the least, unlike MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or even Rishabh Pant or Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul cannot get many team sponsors. Therefore, Rahul might have to go back to auction, where he might not be a much sought-after name.
It is also understood that LSG’s deal with Zaheer Khan has been finalised and he will soon be unveiled as a mentor.
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