‘He is like family’ – Sanjiv Goenka opens up on KL Rahul’s LSG future

Sanjiv Goenka – KL Rahul (Twitter)

The future of KL Rahul with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been a hot topic of discussion ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. With speculation about his retention, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka has finally addressed the situation.

Rahul, who was bought by LSG for a staggering INR 17 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, has been a key figure for the franchise since its beginning. However, LSG’s disappointing performance in the 2024 season, where they failed to reach the playoffs, has put doubts on his future with the team.

“I am surprised this meeting is getting so many attention. As I said earlier, we have not given any thoughts on retention until the BCCI comes up with the rules,” said Goenka in a press conference.

Also read: KL Rahul reflects on short shelf life of athlete’s career at international level

KL Rahul has been there since the inception: Sanjiv Goenka

The speculation increased after a post-match incident during the 2024 season when LSG suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad. A video showed Goenka engaged in an animated conversation with Rahul which went viral, leading to criticism and rumors about a possible fallout between the two.

Despite the rumors, Goenka recently hosted Rahul for dinner in Kolkata. Yet, whispers of a strained relationship persisted, with reports suggesting that Rahul might not be retained for the 2025 season. There were even hints that his former franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), might be interested in bringing him back.

“All I can say that KL has been an important and integral part of the Super Giants family. He has been there since the inception. He has played a very important role. For me personally, he is like family and will be family,” he said.

“We have all of September, October and November to decide that. Let the policies be out. We have not even thought about the team going forward, whether retention will be three-four-five or six, we have no clue. Let us see, there is enough time, so bit by bit. Whatever decisions we take today will impact us for the medium term future, so it has to be very well thought out and considered.

Also read: KL Rahul’s gives his take on IPL owners

The franchise recently confirmed the appointment of Zaheer Khan as a mentor and retained the services of head coach Justin Langer, assistant coach Lance Klusner, and fielding coach Jonty Rhodes.