Team India star batter KL Rahul has reacted to Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka's comments after IPL 2025 retention, saying he wanted to start afresh with a new franchise. LSG released Rahul, with Goenka saying that the team wanted to retain players who put the team before their personal goals, which many believed was directed towards their skipper, who led them in the last three seasons. Rahul was signed by LSG ahead of the 2022 mega auction and was named captain of the franchise; under his leadership, they also qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons. However, things didn't work out for them in IPL 2024, as the team underperformed and finished in the bottom half of the points table.
LSG retained Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan while ending their three-year association with Rahul. LSG owner Goenka discussed the retention choice and said the aim was to get players with a mindset to win.
"It was a simple mindset to go in with players who have a mindset to win, who put the team first before their personal goals and personal aspirations and we wanted to retain as much as of core we could," said Sanjiv Goenka in a message played on Star Sports.
Rahul, finally reacting to Goenka's statement, opened up on his decision to move on from LSG, as he is set to go under the hammer in the mega auction later this month.
"The decision was made already. I don't know what the comments are but they must have come after the retentions were made. 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.
{{/usCountry}}"The decision was made already. I don't know what the comments are but they must have come after the retentions were made. 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.
{{/usCountry}}During a league stage match against SRH last season, Goenka's on-field behaviour towards Rahul made things worse, and although both parties sorted things out, it is believed that the damage was done.
'Important for a team to have calm and balanced atmosphere regardless of results': KL Rahul
Rahul, the star wicketkeeper batter, explained why it's important for a team to have a balanced atmosphere regardless of the results, something he feels teams like Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have mastered.
"You see teams like Gujarat Titans, CSK and all of these teams, and you see, whether they win or lose, they seem very balanced; they stay very calm; that's something very important for me as a player. If that happens, I feel like it gives all the players the best chance to perform," he added.
Rahul further said that he also tried to create such a similar atmosphere at LSG with the coaches, but it was time for him to move on and find something good for himself.
"We tried it first at LSG with Andy Flower and GG, last year we had Justin Langer. I think it was a brilliant atmosphere in the dressing room but somehow, you need to move away and need to find something good for yourself," he concluded.