"It was a tough call" - KL Rahul reveals reason behind leaving Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2022

Newly-appointed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul has opened up on why he chose to leave the Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the IPL 2022 season.

The 29-year-old was not only the captain of PBKS but also a prolific run-scorer for the IPL team. He also forged one of the best opening partnerships in the IPL alongside Mayank Agarwal.

.

However, KL Rahul revealed that he wanted to take on a new challenge and that was why he asked PBKS not to retain him ahead of the IPL 2022 season. Speaking to Red Bull Cricket, he stated:

“I have been with them for four years and I’ve had a great run with them. Just wanted to see what’s in store for me and if there’s a new journey for me. It was a tough call obviously. I have been attached to Punjab for a long time. I wanted to see if I can do something else.”

---

We wanted to retain KL Rahul, but we respect his decision: Anil Kumble

Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, PBKS retained just two players in Agarwal and young Arshdeep Singh. Quite a few eyebrows were raised when the Kings let go of their star man Rahul.

However, PBKS head coach Anil Kumble revealed that as much as they wanted to retain Rahul, it was the 29-year-old's decision to move on. Kumble said while speaking to Star Sports after the retention announcement:

“Obviously we wanted to retain him, that is one of the reasons we chose him as captain two years back. But he decided to go into the auction. We respect that, we honour his decision. It's the player's prerogative.”

Under a new captain in Agarwal and with a number of star players like Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada, PBKS will be hopeful of finally winning their maiden IPL title.

Check out the full IPL 2022 News here.