"Worst decision by RCB"- Fans react to DC signing KL Rahul for INR 14 crores in IPL 2025 auction

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul was sold to the Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹14 crores in the IPL 2025 auction on November 24. The 32-year-old was expected pre-auction to go for a price over ₹20 crores.

However, after both the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were involved in an initial bidding war, DC joined the party. They fought off a one-round competition from the Chennai Super Kings before landing Rahul for ₹14 crores with his former franchise Lucknow Super Giants not exercising their Right-To-Match (RTM) option.

Rahul is a former Orange Cap winner in 2020 and has been a model of consistency at the top of the order over the past few IPLs. With an overall IPL average of 45 at a strike rate of 134.61, the 32-year-old also provides a wicket-keeping option.

Rahul has also captained the Punjab Kings and the Lucknow Super Giants previously, leading the latter to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.

Hence, it was only fair fans on Twitter felt DC landing Rahul at under ₹15 crores was a steal.

Here are some of the best reactions:

Fans continued reacting to Rahul's buy at the auction with one saying:

"Leaving kl rahul is a worst descission by rcb, u people never gonna change."

"RCB is sane enough to not make Kohli - KL Rahul their openers where their competitors have the likes of Jaiswal-Sanju and Abhishek-Head," said a fan.

"KL Rahul for only 14cr to DC is a joke looking he has done more in IPL than Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant," a fan tweeted.

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"Would be nice to go back there and get an opportunity" - KL Rahul on an RCB return

KL Rahul recently spoke about wanting a return to his former franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL 2025 auction.

After starting his IPL career with RCB in 2013, Rahul returned to the franchise in 2016. He helped them reach the final in 2016 with an excellent 397-run season at an average of over 44.

Playing all his domestic cricket in Karnataka, Rahul was keen to return to RCB and expressed the same in a recent interview with Star Sports.

"I most enjoyed playing at RCB. It’s home. You get to spend a lot of time to spend at home. I know the Chinnaswamy really well, I have grown up playing there. So, yeah, I really enjoyed playing at RCB. Of course (Would you like to be back at RCB?) Bengaluru is home. People there know me as a local Kannada boy. Would be nice to go back there and get an opportunity. But, yeah, it’s an auction year, you can go anywhere," he said.

However, RCB went only to ₹10.75 crores for Rahul in the auction, much to the disappointment of Bengaluru fans.

The stylish batter has scored over 500 runs in six of the last seven IPL seasons, yet, his tempo of scoring has often come under criticism from fans and experts.