IPL 2025: KL Rahul ’integral’ part, says Sanjiv Goenka amid speculations of Lucknow Super Giants captain joining RCB

Although it has only been a few months since the end of the last Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the thrilling matches, record-breaking performances, and moments of controversy are still fresh. One such incident that was, and continues to be, widely discussed involves KL Rahul and Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka. The public outburst to KL following the team's 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad garnered significant attention.

Since then, there has been rumours of rift between the two and also speculations that LSG Skipper is likely to join Royal challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and replace Faf du Plessis as captain for IPL 2025 season.

Now, during the press conference where Zaheer Khan was announced as the franchise's new mentor, owner Sanjiv Goenka also opened up on the speculation of the franchise skipper KL Rahul leaving the team. He said, “I have been meeting KL on and off regularly over the last three years. I am surprised this meeting is getting a lot of attention [in the media]. He is integral [to LSG]. He has been here since the inception. For me personally and for [my son] Shashwat [Goenka, who is also involved in running LSG], he is like family."

Earlier on May 8, Goenka came in the eye of the storm after his animated chat with LSG skipper KL Rahul was perceived as a public dressing down of the captain after SRH defeated LSG by 10 wickets. The incident sparked strong reactions from both netizens and fellow cricketers like Virender Sehwag and Brett Lee. A week later, a photo circulated on social media showing Goenka and Rahul sharing a warm hug during a special team dinner hosted by the owner in Delhi.

It is important to note that when the IPL mega auction begin, there has been a lot of speculation over how the different franchise may make changes to their lineups in order to future proof themselves.

KL Rahul's IPL jouney so far

Rahul played for the RCB in 2013 and 2016. In 2014-2015 he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, from 2018-2021, he was part of Punjab XI Kings. In 2022, he joined LSG. In 2020 season, he was the orange cap winner, scoring maximum runs.

Zaheer Khan named LSG's mentor

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has been named the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming 2025 IPL season. He is set to fill in the shoes of Gautam Gambhir, who stepped down after serving as LSG's mentor until 2023. Gambhir then mentored Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in the 2024 IPL season.

While speaking during the press conference, Zaheer emphasized that his role with LSG will be to support the team in every possible way. He also acknowledged the team's rapid progress in just three years, comparing them to franchises with much longer IPL histories.

"It is a team game, so I will be serving the team in every capacity possible, and yes, it includes bowling. If I am there in the set-up, does the team need another bowling coach? When you see LSG, their journey is only three years but they are as comparable to the teams who have played the IPL for 17-18 years. The building blocks are in place and we need to take them forward. Decision-making will be something we'll work on, since it is something that can differentiate teams," Zaheer was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)