3 teams that won't target KL Rahul in IPL 2022 auction

KL Rahul was released by Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and is likely to be among the most wanted players when the Mega Auction come around.

Rahul joined PBKS in 2018 and became their captain in IPL 2019. Ever since IPL 2018, Rahul has been one of the most prolific batters in the tournament, scoring over 600 runs in each year except for 2019, when he fell seven short.

IPL 2020 was his most successful season as he scored 670 runs and won the Orange Cap.

However, his stellar returns with the bat were not enough to power his team to the knockouts even once.

Rahul also suggested that as captain, he was held back from playing freely, leading to slow strike rates as he looked to anchor an inconsistent batting lineup that has majorly relied on him and opening partner Mayank Agarwal over the years.

That he can double up as a wicketkeeper also adds to his value. However, there will be some teams that would not want to get him in the auction as he may not fit in their plans.

PBKS obviously won't bid for him, as it's understood Rahul wanted to part ways with them. But they won't be the only ones.

Here are 3 teams that will likely not want to buy KL Rahul in the auction:

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1) Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals (DC) retained Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw and Anrich Nortje and have a purse of Rs 47.50 crore remaining for the auction.

In Pant, they have their captain as well as a wicketkeeper, and in Shaw, an explosive opener. With the lowest budget in the auction -- albeit only by Rs 0.5 crore -- they will look to stay out of the bidding war for Rahul.

Rahul is expected to draw one of the largest bids in the auction and DC would be better off conserving their budget and spending in a more balanced manner to ensure they have a complete squad.

Over the last few years, their squad-building has been one of the best in the league and that resulted in them reaching the final in 2020, as well as topping the league table in 2021.

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2) Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are another team that retained four players. They opted to keep Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, and have a budget of Rs 48 crore left to spend in the IPL auction 2022.

KKR, in the past few years, have built their team with relatively young and inexpensive players, and are unlikely to spend big on KL Rahul.

In Venkatesh Iyer, they have a smashing opener and will likely look to get back at least a couple from Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi in the auction.

While the former PBKS captain could be a good buy as he covers the other opening slot and wicketkeeper's role, KKR are unlikely to dole out the huge sum he is certain go for.

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3) Chennai Super Kings

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings were also among the four teams that used all four retentions, keeping hold of Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Gaikwad was part of a brilliant opening combination for CSK along with Faf du Plessis, who they will look to buy back in the auction. Gaikwad and du Plessis he finished on top of the run charts last season, pushing KL Rahul down to the third position. Gaikwad eventually took the Orange Cap, pipping du Plessis by a one run.

The 24-year-old is similar to Rahul in terms of what he brings to the table. Gaikwad is also an accumulator who accelerates later on, and has been effective in all phases of the innings.

With only Rs 48 crore left to spend, CSK will likely want to use the money wisely to reinforce other areas of their squad instead of going after a player like Rahul.