Following a disheartening defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) captain, KL Rahul, may consider stepping down from his leadership role for the remaining two matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. This development comes after owner Sanjiv Goenka publicly expressed his displeasure with the team’s performance. News agency PTI has reported that Rahul, who was acquired by LSG for a record ₹17 crore before the auction in 2022, is unlikely to be retained for the mega auctions in 2025. Speculations are rife that Rahul might voluntarily relinquish the captaincy and focus solely on his batting for the upcoming games. An anonymous IPL source told PTI that the management would not object if Rahul decides to concentrate on his batting during the final two matches, given the five-day gap before the next game against the Delhi Capitals. Notably, Goenka, who was previously the owner of the Rising Pune Supergiants, had dismissed MS Dhoni as captain in their second season and appointed Steve Smith as his replacement. Mathematically, LSG still has a chance of reaching 16 points by winning their remaining two games against the Delhi Capitals on May 14 and the Mumbai Indians on May 17. However, improving their net run rate (-0.760) significantly will be a challenge. If Rahul decides to step down, vice-captain Nicholas Pooran, who has been LSG’s most consistent batter this season, is likely to assume the captaincy for the remaining two matches. The decision to step down may have been influenced by Rahul’s low strike rate and lack of intent while opening the batting in T20s. This has also been a factor in his exclusion from the Indian T20I side since the 2022 World Cup. Despite being among the top-10 batters in the Orange Cap list with 430 runs in 12 matches, Rahul has the second-worst strike rate (136) among them. The Lucknow Super Giants will face the Delhi Capitals in their next match on May 14, followed by a clash with the Mumbai Indians on May 17. Whether Rahul will remain as captain or step down in favor of Pooran remains to be seen.
KL Rahul May Resign as Lucknow Super Giants Captain Ahead of Last Two IPL Matches
