Rahul said it’s important for a team to have a balanced atmosphere, regardless of wins or losses, and praised teams like Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings for creating this kind of environment.
KL Rahul, India’s star batter, recently responded to comments by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka after LSG decided not to retain him for IPL 2025. Goenka said the team wanted players who put the team’s goals above personal ones, which many thought was directed at Rahul, who led LSG for the last three seasons.
Rahul had joined LSG as captain before the 2022 mega auction and led the team to the playoffs in their first two seasons. However, things didn’t go well in IPL 2024, with LSG finishing in the lower half of the points table.
LSG retained Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan, ending their three-year connection with Rahul. Goenka explained that they wanted players with a strong focus on winning.
Rahul reflects on moving on from LSG ahead of IPL 2025 Auction
With the upcoming mega auction, Rahul shared his thoughts about moving on from LSG. He said it’s important for a team to have a balanced atmosphere, regardless of wins or losses, and praised teams like Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings for creating this kind of environment.
“No, I mean, I think the decision was made already and I don’t know what the comments are, but they must have come after the announcement,” Rahul told Star Sports in an interview aired on November 12. “I just felt like I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom and the team atmosphere would be something much more balanced.
“The pressure is already there in the IPL, it’s so high. You see teams like Gujarat [Titans] and CSK [Chennai Super Kings] and all of these teams, and you see when they win or lose, they seem really balanced and the dressing room is really calm. That’s something that’s very important for me as a player. I feel like if that happens, it gives all the players the best chance to perform.
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Personal Growth and Change: Rahul’s decision to move forward
Rahul shared that at LSG, he, along with coaches like Andy Flower and Gautam Gambhir initially, and later Justin Langer, worked hard to build a positive and supportive atmosphere in the dressing room. He felt that they created a great environment for the team.
However, Rahul also mentioned that sometimes, even in a good environment, it’s important to step away and look for new opportunities that can be better for your personal growth.
“We tried that at LSG with Andy Flower [head coach] and GG [Gautam Gambhir, mentor] first and then last year with [new head coach, Justin] Langer, we tried to create that in the change room. I think it was a brilliant atmosphere in the change room. I think sometimes you just need to move away and find something good for yourself.”
Rahul took LSG to the playoffs in their first two seasons, 2022 and 2023. Reflecting on IPL 2024, he hinted that outside pressure might have affected their performance. The team started the season with a loss to Rajasthan Royals but bounced back with three wins in a row. However, their form dipped mid-season and continued to decline.
Despite Rahul scoring 520 runs with a strike rate of 136.12, questions about his future with LSG emerged. Speculation grew after footage showed an intense conversation between Rahul and owner Sanjiv Goenka following LSG’s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad near the end of the season.
“There’s always ups and downs,” he said. “You need to be able to hold your nerves and be able to keep and you need to be able to keep putting up good performances after good performances. All the travel, all the drama outside, the pressure – all of it is there every year. But somehow this season, it felt like there was a lot more and somehow I think that affected the team and we couldn’t put in performances when it really mattered.”
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