Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul's future is uncertain for the remaining two games of the IPL season after the team's heavy loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. The defeat virtually eliminated Lucknow from playoff contention. Rahul, who was acquired for a record Rs 17 crore before the 2022 auction, is unlikely to be retained before the 2025 mega auction. There is speculation that he might step down as captain to focus on his batting in the final two matches. If Rahul steps down, vice-captain Nicholas Pooran, arguably the team's most impactful batsman this season, would likely take over for the final two games.
"There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind," an IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
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This comes after videos of Lucknow owner Sanjiv Goenka having a heated conversation with Rahul went viral following Sunrisers Hyderabad openers Travis Head (89 not out off 30 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (75 off 28 balls) chasing down a target of 167 in less than 10 overs. Lucknow's batters struggled on the same pitch, and Rahul's slow batting in the powerplay (29 off 33 balls) has been a major concern throughout the season. Goenka appears to have lost patience.
The India star has scored 460 runs in 12 games and is on track to surpass 500 runs for the season. However, his strike rate of 136.09 is problematic.
Lucknow remains mathematically in contention, needing wins in their remaining two games – against Delhi Capitals on May 14 and Mumbai Indians on May 17 – to reach 16 points. However, significantly improving their net run rate (-0.760) will be challenging.
