KL Rahul takes indirect dig at LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka

KL Rahul had a poor performance in the IPL during his three-year tenure with the Lucknow Super Giants, where he also held the captaincy from 2022 to 2024. Despite his leadership role, Rahul has struggled to find success, even facing public criticism from LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after a match in IPL 2024.

After LSG suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, numerous clips of Goenka expressing his disappointment with Rahul were widely circulated on social media. Amidst the ensuing speculation, Rahul was not retained by LSG ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction despite being the top run-scorer in IPL 2024.

Rahul, who captained the Indian team in all three formats, has never publicly disclosed his relationship with the owner of LSG. However, in a recent interview with sports broadcaster and commentator Jatin Sapru, he spoke about the challenges of leading a team in the IPL. Although he did not mention Goenka’s name, he subtly criticized him for demanding an explanation for the team’s losses.

“What I struggled with as a captain in the IPL was the number of meetings you had to do, the number of reviews you had to do and the number of things you had to explain at the ownership level. All of that is really energy draining. So by the end of the IPL, after playing international cricket for 10 months, I realized I was more mentally and physically drained,” Rahul told Sapru.

“There are so many things. Coaches, captains, you are constantly asked a lot of questions and after a point it feels like you are being questioned as to why you are making this change. Why did Jatin play in the playing XI? Why did the opposition get 200 and we couldn’t even get 120? Why do their bowlers get more spin?”

“I mean, these are questions we’re never asked throughout the year, aren’t they? Because the coaches who are there know what’s going on. You’re only accountable to the coach and the selectors, who have all played cricket and understand the nuances of cricket and the sport. There’s nothing in sport that guarantees victory, no matter what you do and how many boxes you tick. That’s the part that’s hard to explain to people from a non-sporting background,” he added.

Rahul has made five appearances in the Indian Premier League. He is currently a player for Delhi Capitals after being bought by the franchise for an impressive total of Rs 14 crore.

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