As the Indian Premier League (IPL) gears up for its 2025 season, retention talks are gaining momentum across franchises. Recently, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul met with team owner Sanjiv Goenka at the franchise’s Kolkata office on Monday, August 26.
This meeting has given rise to immense speculation about Rahul’s future with the team and his potential retention for the upcoming season.
The meeting between Rahul and Goenka marks their first formal interaction since a widely publicized animated conversation following LSG’s loss to SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.
Also read: Virat Kohli’s jersey sold for INR 40 lakhs at KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty’s charity auction
That incident had fueled rumours about the 32-year-old’s possible departure from the franchise, with some speculating about a return to his former team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, this recent meeting suggests that LSG might be keen on retaining their star player.
The hour-long discussion at Goenka’s office has possibly focused on team composition and Rahul’s potential retention, Cricbuzz reported. While the specifics of the conversation remain undisclosed, the mere occurrence of this meeting is seen as a positive sign for LSG fans hoping to see Rahul continue with the franchise.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the official retention policy for the 2025 season. It remains unclear how many players each team will be allowed to retain and whether the Right to Match (RTM) option will be available.
Also read: KL Rahul reflects on ‘getting suspended from the team’ after Koffee with Karan episode
LSG is also reportedly set to bring in former India pacer Zaheer Khan as a mentor, working alongside head coach Justin Langer. This report is expected to be confirmed soon and could influence the team’s retention decisions.