KL Rahul meets LSG owner amid IPL retention talks
What's the story
KL Rahul, the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), recently visited the team's Kolkata office for a meeting with owner Sanjiv Goenka. The meeting, which took place at Goenka's office on Judges Court Road in Alipore, lasted approximately one hour. This was their first formal interaction since their animated conversation following the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.
Retention discussions
Meeting focused on team composition and Rahul's potential retention
The specifics of the discussion between Rahul and Goenka remain undisclosed. However, it is understood that the meeting was centered around the team composition and the potential retention of Rahul. An IPL Governing Council member told PTI, "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."
Policy announcement
BCCI yet to announce official retention policy
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet announced the official retention policy. It remains unclear how many players each team will be allowed to retain. Additionally, the Right to Match (RTM) option is another factor that could influence a franchise's decision around top retentions. Notably, Rahul had a decent IPL 2024 with LSG as he scored 520 runs, striking at 37.14.
Mentorship role
Zaheer Khan likely to join LSG as mentor
In related news, the franchise is reportedly planning to bring in Zaheer Khan as a mentor. The appointment of the former India pacer is expected to be confirmed soon, with Zaheer likely to work alongside Justin Langer, who will continue in his role as head coach. If LSG can seal the deal with Zaheer Khan, he could play both the mentor role and bowling coach role in the next IPL season.