"I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom" - KL Rahul on parting ways with LSG ahead of IPL 2025 auction

Former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul opened up on the reason behind leaving the franchise ahead of the 2025 IPL auction. The 32-year-old said the time was right for him to make a fresh start and play with more freedom in his next destination.

LSG decided to retain five players - Nicholas Pooran (₹21 crores), Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 crores), Mayank Yadav (₹11 crores), Mohsin Khan (₹4 crores), and Ayush Badoni (₹4 crores) for the next three-year cycle.

In a video shared by Star Sports on their X handle, Rahul broke the silence about his parting ways with LSG. He said as quoted by India Today:

"I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom, where the team atmosphere could be something lighter, much more balanced."

"The pressure is already so high in the IPL," Rahul continued. "You see teams like Gujarat and CSK who seem really balanced whether they win or lose and the dressing room is really calm. That's something that's very important for me as a player. If that happens, it gives all the players the best chance to perform. We tried that at LSG and tried to create that at the change room and it was a brilliant atmosphere at the change room but sometimes you need to move away and find something good for yourself."

Rahul was LSG's skipper for their first three IPL seasons from 2022 to 2024, leading the side to the playoffs in the first two seasons. However, they missed the playoffs last season, finishing seventh on the points table with seven wins in 14 games.

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"My aim is to obviously get back into the Indian T20 team" - KL Rahul

India v Zimbabwe - ICC Men's T20 World Cup - Source: Getty

KL Rahul said he aimed to ultimately get back to the Indian T20I side through his IPL performances in the upcoming season.

The stylish batter last played a T20I game for India in the 2022 World Cup in Australia, where the side suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket loss to England in the semi-final.

"I have been out of the T20 team for a while and I know where I stand as a player and I know what I need to do to get back, so I'll look forward to this IPL season to give me that platform where I can go back and enjoy my cricket and my aim is to obviously get back into the Indian T20 team," said Rahul.

Rahul also shared a wishlist for the next phase of his career, which, unsurprisingly, was centered around team success rather than individual milestones.

"I never think of personally how many runs I need to get, centuries and all of that, that would be lovely, I am not saying that I don't think about it. But championships and trophies are something that really drives me. So a few IPL trophies, one World Cup each - one-day, T20 and Test championship. I think I am not asking for too much," he signed off.

Rahul enjoyed an incredible maiden season with LSG in 2022, scoring 616 runs at an average of over 51 and a strike rate of 135.38. However, he has averaged under 40 in the last two seasons despite scoring almost 800 runs in 23 combined matches.

Rahul boasts an excellent overall T20I record with 2,265 runs at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.12 in 72 games.