KL Rahul, the India batter who is also the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently had a meeting with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka on August 26 (Monday). As reported by Cricbuzz, the meeting lasted for approximately an hour. Rahul, who joined LSG for Rs 17 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, has been rumoured to part ways with the franchise after an animated chat between him and Goenka went viral after LSG faced a humiliating loss in IPL 2024.
This is reportedly the first formal meeting between the two since a clip captured Goenka's heated conversation with Rahul following LSG's 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, which caused a stir in the cricket community with many lashing at Goenka’s behaviour.
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Are LSG Keen On Retaining KL Rahul?
As per the report, the meeting focused on team composition and the possible retention of Rahul for the IPL 2025 season. The outcome of whether the franchise will retain Rahul is yet to be confirmed, but his visit to the owner may suggest a positive outcome.
Rahul, who last appeared for India in the ODI series against Sri Lanka in Colombo, is now set to participate in the Duleep Trophy 2024, starting September 5.
LSG To Bring Zaheer Khan In As Team's Mentor
Notably, former Indian bowler Zaheer Khan is in discussions with the Lucknow-based franchise for a mentorship role. The franchise is eager to add a prominent former India player with extensive T20 experience to their coaching staff following Gautam Gambhir's departure.
In another IPL-related development, the IPL teams are currently waiting for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to finalise the retention policy for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. Teams are divided between those seeking maximum retention to maintain squad stability and those favouring a mega-auction.