KL Rahul's Efforts to Mend Fences with Sanjiv Goenka: Holds Lengthy Meeting for Retention with LSG Owner

Star India cricketer KL Rahul made a trip to Kolkata to have a discussion with Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka before the IPL 2025 retention announcement. There were rumors circulating that Rahul might be leaving LSG, but after their meeting on Monday, there may have been a change of plan. The meeting, which took place on Judges Court Road, Alipor, lasted for an hour and focused on the possibility of retaining Rahul and strategizing for the upcoming season in terms of player combinations.

News agency claimed Rahul has expressed his intentions about being retained by LSG but the franchise has not committed anything to the keeper-batter.

"Yes, Rahul came to Kolkata and met Dr Goenka at RPG head office. He has clearly told Dr Goenka that he wants to be retained. However, till BCCI comes up with retention policy, LSG management wouldn't want to chalk out their plans," an IPL Governing Council member, privy to developments in LSG, told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

"Look, Rahul wants retention but till LSG knows how many are to be retained and what's the new purse, they can't commit anyone," the IPL source said.

Meanwhile, Goenka's animated chat with Rahul after an IPL match grabbed eyeballs as many thought it would lead to the end of Rahul's association with LSG in IPL 2025. It was the LSG vs SRH match where Rahul's side suffered a massive thrashing courtesy of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's onslaught. After the clash, Goenka was seen having an animated chat with skipper Rahul on the ground. It didn't look pleasant, as Goenka looked miffed with the team's performances, and many suggested he should have waited to get to the dressing room or a meeting room to have that conversation instead of doing it in a public place.

However, it seems like all that is a thing of the past for both parties, and they might continue their association to get their hands on the coveted trophy.

Rahul faced a lot of criticism last year due to his batting approach as he failed to give LSG flying starts in the powerplay. He scored 520 runs in 14 matches but wasn't able to inspire his team and lead them to the playoffs. His strike rate of 136.12, lower in comparison to veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and younger stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Rishabh Pant and he faced criticism on social media.

Zaheer Khan linked with coaching role at LSG

Earlier, according to a report in Cricbuzz, if LSG can seal the deal with Zaheer Khan, the former India pacer could play both the mentor role and bowling coach role in the next IPL season. "He will also be a key interlocutor, rather a go-between, for players and the management of the franchise," the report further said. Zaheer will hence be potentially working with the likes of head coach Justin Langer, Adam Voges, Lance Klusener, and Jonty Rhodes in the coaching unit.

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