IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants Will Not Retain KL Rahul, Shocking Report Emerges

The franchise believes that Rahul no longer fits into the team's strategy, as his batting lacks the aggression required in the T20 format.

Struggling Indian batsman KL Rahul may be released by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. According to a report, the franchise is not willing to retain its captain KL Rahul. Rahul has been the captain of Lucknow Super Giants since 2022.

Before the IPL 2025 mega auction, all 10 IPL franchises must submit their retained players' list to the BCCI by October 31.

Mentor Zaheer Khan and Coach Langer's Decision

According to the report, the decision not to retain KL Rahul was taken by team mentor Zaheer Khan and head coach Justin Langer. Both believe that Rahul no longer fits into the team's strategy, as his batting lacks the aggression required in the T20 format.

Question Marks Over His Ability to Win Matches

The report states that Zaheer Khan and Justin Langer believe that in matches where Rahul has batted for a long time, the team has lost. Due to the impact rule, teams are now scoring big in IPL. As a result, Rahul's strike rate, which is 136.13 in IPL, is causing harm to the team.

These Five Players Will be Retained by the Franchise

Lucknow Super Giants have decided to retain spinner Ravi Bishnoi, West Indies explosive batsman Nicholas Pooran, batsman Ayush Badoni, and young fast bowlers Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan.

Big Bet on Mayank Yadav

Sources close to the Lucknow franchise say that fast bowler Mayank Yadav is their discovery, and they don't want to lose him at any cost. Mayank has now become an international player. As a result, the franchise may bet around 11 crores on him this time.

Search for the First Title Continues

Lucknow Super Giants made their IPL debut in 2022 under KL Rahul's captaincy. The team reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 consecutively. However, their performance was disappointing in 2024, and they finished 7th in the points table. The team is still searching for their first IPL title.