All is not well between Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul and owner Sanjiv Goenka. The problem started after Sunrisers Hyderabad beat LSG by 10 wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Sanjiv lost his cool with Rahul and was seen scolding him after the match. The public dressing down of India's star batsman shocked everyone, including former players.
KL is likely to step down from the captaincy for the remaining matches of the 17th edition. The franchise will also not retain him for IPL 2025. LSG posted 165/4 in 20 overs on a flat pitch. Chasing 166, Travis Head (89) and Abhishek Sharma (75) completed the task in just 9.4 overs.
According to news agency PTI, Rahul, who was signed for a record ₹17 crore before the 2022 auction, will be released. Speculation is rife that the skipper may hand over the captain's armband to concentrate on his batting.
Speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, an IPL source said:
“There is a five-day gap before the next match against Delhi. No decision has been taken on Rahul’s captaincy but if he decides to leave the role, the management won’t mind.”
Notably, Goenka was the owner of Rising Pune Supergiants when MS Dhoni was sacked as captain and Steve Smith took over in the second season.
LSG have 12 points from 12 games and need to beat DC and Mumbai Indians to qualify for the play-offs. Nicholas Pooran will lead Lucknow in Rahul's absence.