"There was a negotiation" - Former RCB manager's huge claim on not retaining KL Rahul ahead of IPL 2018 mega auction

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team manager Avinash Vaidya recently opened up on the franchise parting ways with local boy KL Rahul. The side released the wicketkeeper-batter ahead of the IPL 2018 mega auction.

Vaidya recently revealed that he had a conversation with Rahul about the retention. He suggested that while there was a negotiation, the team management ultimately decided to release the ace batter.

Vaidya said in an interview with cricket.com/tv:

"It was this (very) close. I remember he (KL Rahul) was on a flight. That Indian team was traveling to South Africa, and we were chatting in parts because there was a negotiation that was going on.

"In between his flight from here to Dubai, I had some news for him. So, during the stay of over about two hours in Dubai, we were able to talk. Unfortunately, that was the last day, and by the time he landed in South Africa, we were able to somehow not...probably it was not meant to be."

RCB retained three players prior to the IPL 2018 auction. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were their top two picks, with Sarfaraz Khan, an uncapped Indian player at that point, taking the third spot.

Rahul was part of the RCB squad in 2013. However, he later joined SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) after being signed at ₹1 crore in the 2014 auction. Vaidya also shed light on how the talented batter's second stint with the Bengaluru-based team began.

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"I had to request them and try and see if they can release him" - Avinash Vaidya on his efforts to bring KL Rahul back to RCB in 2016

RCB signed KL Rahul ahead of the 2016 edition through the transfer window. Avinash Vaidya disclosed that he approached the SRH team management, requesting them to release Rahul.

Speaking in the same interview, Vaidya said:

"Even though KL ended up in SRH, but I can tell you with confirmation that I think I played a bit of a role in trying to get him back to RCB. It was a small role, but it is a large-hearted effort of VVS Laxman, Muttiah Muralitharan, and the owners of SRH and the CEO.

"They were quite convinced of the fact that KL was on the benches most of the time, so I had to request them and try and see if they can release him," he concluded.

KL Rahul's IPL career earned a new lease of life in 2016. He scored 397 runs across 12 innings at an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 146.49. RCB finished as the runners-up of the season after an eight-run defeat to SRH in the final.