If the IPL, players and coaches were more transparent, we'd have more details of what went behind the scenes between KL Rahul and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) management during and after the 2024 season, the first time in their three years when they finished outside the top-four.
All we know now is there was a video after a match with team owner Sanjeev Goenka speaking to Rahul, what looked like, angrily before they had a seemingly PR-friendly dinner together. It ended with LSG not retaining Rahul for the IPL 2025 auction and Goenka saying this after the announcement:
“It was a simple mindset to go in with players who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and personal aspirations and we wanted to retain as much as of the core we could."
If you believe him and go by his statement, Rahul might be the worst player to look to get in the IPL 2025 auction. But that can hardly be true for an all-format India international and someone who has even captained the country's team.
There are multiple teams who would love the opportunity to sign Rahul at a reduced price. Below, we make the case for his erstwhile and home franchise, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and why they should not miss out on signing him.
#3 RCB can unlock KL Rahul
The biggest, obvious issue with Rahul is his batting strike rate. As an opener on some of the flattest tracks in the world in the IPL, he has consistently struck at around 135 (his career IPL strike rate is 134.61), which is simply not good enough.
More tellingly, his powerplay strike rate since 2021 is just 117.4. This means he plays T20s like ODIs, taking his time early on while steadily hitting more boundaries towards the slog overs. It naturally works for his stats but deprives the team of good powerplay starts.
Observers have dissected many reasons for this: some say it's because he thinks (and has said that) strike rate is an overrated metric in T20Is. Others point to his tendency to take too much responsibility for the team and be risk-averse.
RCB can solve both issues. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis weren't too different from Rahul in terms of powerplay strike rate before 2024, when they met the new head coach Andy Flower.
Flower, who has worked with Rahul at LSG, is as good a T20 coach you can get in the IPL. A serial winner all around the world, he knows what it takes to win and could imbibe that attacking philosophy into Rahul, like he and director Mo Bobat did with Kohli and du Plessis.
It seemed like, after years, that RCB had a strong, team-work-oriented philosophy built on trust, giving them a clear identity. That necessity to fit in can free Rahul, too, especially considering that he'll have Kohli - a senior pro to take the responsibility if at all needed - along with him and Rajat Patidar.
Moreover, at RCB, half of his games would be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, one of the flattest pitches in the country where you have no option but to attack as a batter.
In his intermittent 2013-16 phase at RCB, Rahul also played some good high-intent knocks at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which he can certainly replicate with more experience.
#2 Perfect opener alongside Virat Kohli
It's often said that RCB's major batting problems since AB de Villiers' retirement lie in their middle-order. Although somewhat true, the bigger issue has been finding the right role, gameplan and partner to get the best out of Kohli. That way, two big guys attack from the top and don't take all the responsibility of the order.
Du Plessis dovetailed Kohli. In the second half of last season, Kohli took it upon himself to attack spinners as the opener and du Plessis did the same against pace. Forget Kohli's spin troubles for a second. On flatter tracks with less turn, he was at his absolute best even against left-arm spinners.
If RCB want to avoid giving Kohli a partner that doesn't work for him or the team, Rahul is their man. If he plays with freedom, he can be a beast against fast bowlers in the powerplay. Fans will remember his 16-ball 51 against Delhi Capitals' Trent Boult and Mohammed Shami in 2018.
There can't be a better like-for-like replacement for du Plessis. Kohli and Rahul also already share a good rapport which would only help the team long-term.
#1 Captaincy option
Some reports have suggested that Kohli might take up RCB's captaincy back from du Plessis in 2025. If that happens, it might be a step backwards because that chapter's end was good for both the team and the player.
Rahul, instead, could be a good option. His on-field captaincy has never been an issue - LSG reached playoffs twice in its first two seasons - and it was the leadership's impact on his batting that made it an extra salty pickle.
If Flower and Bobat can free Rahul's batting up, they'll get a brilliant leader, who knows how to run a T20 team on the field. He's a loved local boy which is always a positive and is now almost in the prime of his career, where RCB can build their team around him for the next three years.
All in all, Rahul could come in and lead from the front with sixes and fours on the flat Chinnaswamy, in front of his home crowd.
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