After a tough season for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2024, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka made headlines by publicly expressing his frustration with star player KL Rahul following the team’s defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. The video of Goenka’s reaction circulated widely on social media, sparking backlash from fans who felt his criticism of Rahul was excessive.
In a bid to smooth things over, Goenka later invited Rahul for dinner to discuss the matter privately and attempt to mend their relationship. Despite the conciliatory gesture, Rahul was ultimately released by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
While some fans and critics felt this move was inevitable, Rahul stayed silent until now. Speaking openly about his departure from LSG, Rahul revealed that the decision to leave was entirely his own, motivated by a desire for a fresh start and a team environment that allowed him to play with greater freedom.
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“I wanted to start fresh, to explore my options, and to play in a setting that feels lighter and offers the freedom I need to perform,” KL Rahul explained on Star Sports. “Sometimes you need to step away and find what’s best for you.”
I WANTED TO GO WHERE I COULD FIND SOME FREEDOM – KL RAHUL ON LEAVING LSG#Glamsham #Cricket #Sports #KLRahul #AmitMishra #IPL2025 #IndianCinema #Bollywood @klrahul @KlRahulFansArmy @klrahuladdict_ pic.twitter.com/4Q91mDTwQB
— glamsham.com (@glamsham) November 12, 2024
Meanwhile, LSG retained five key players, including Nicholas Pooran, who received the franchise’s highest salary retention at INR 21 crore. Alongside Pooran, LSG kept Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Ayush Badoni. Goenka elaborated on the team’s retention strategy, highlighting the collaborative approach involving Head Coach Justin Langer, Bowling Coach Zaheer Khan, and the team analyst.
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“Our first retention, an automatic choice, was Nicholas Pooran. It took us less than two minutes to decide on him,” Sanjiv Goenka noted in a video statement. “We retained two capped players—Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav—and two uncapped players—Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. It was a process driven by the collective input of Justin, Zaheer, and our analyst.”
As LSG heads into the 2025 season, the departure of Rahul and retention of core players signal the franchise’s plans to restructure and recalibrate for a fresh start in the league.
