“Shareef insaan hai” - LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka opens up on KL Rahul after not picking him for IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka spoke about KL Rahul after his release from the franchise following the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The wicketkeeper-batter was the franchise's first signing ahead of their maiden season in 2022 and was appointed captain for their first three-year cycle in the competition.
LSG progressed well in the first couple of seasons, reaching the playoffs on both occasions. However, they failed to adapt to the evolution of the shortest format and were caught unaware in the 2024 season. KL Rahul's performance as a batter and captain was scrutinized.
Rahul and Goenka's relationship also took a massive hit as the pair were seen quarreling in public right after LSG's tame 10-wicket away defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). While they patched things up in the off-season, Rahul was not part of the retention list and was picked up by the Delhi Capitals (DC) during the 2025 Auction.
Goenka claimed that he has no hard feelings for Rahul and wished him the best for the next phase of his career.
"KL Rahul has always been family for me and he will remain that way. He captained Lucknow for three years and have shown great results during his tenure. I genuinely wish for his success, no matter what happens," Goenka said on the TRS podcast (via Hindustan Times).
"Shareef insan hai (He is a good person). He is a very honest and decent person and I wish that everything good happens to an honest person like him. He is also very talented and I wish he displays his talent to the world. I am very sure he will do well. My best wishes are with him," Goenka added.
KL Rahul is currently involved in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
"I wanted to play somewhere I can find some freedom" - KL Rahul
The Karnataka batter entered the mega auction as one of the biggest attractions as LSG decided to retain the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Ayush Badoni.
While a comeback to RCB was being wildly speculated, DC roped him in with a late swoop for ₹14 crore.
Just felt like I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options and I wanted to play somewhere I can find some freedom and team atmosphere would be something lighter, much more balanced, pressure is already very high in the IPL," Rahul told Star Sports (via Hindustan Times).
KL Rahul emerges as a leadership candidate for DC, with current vice-captain Axar Patel also a viable option. LSG are faced with a similar conundrum regarding captaincy, with two promising prospects - Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran - touted to succeed Rahul.