KL Rahul likely to lead Lucknow team in IPL 2022: Reports

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is set to witness a mega auction, and franchises are preparing to finalise the list of players they want to retain and release. Considering the retention rules, it is expected that many changes will take place in every franchise.

Notably, each franchise will be allowed to retain up to four players from their IPL 2021 squads. It can feature up to three Indian players or a maximum of two overseas players. When it comes to the two new franchises – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – they are permitted to pick three players from the pool of un-retained players ahead of the auction.

One of the major changes that fans may see is the Indian opening batter KL Rahul, who is set to part ways from the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Rahul, who was signed by PBKS (then Kings XI Punjab) for INR 11 crore at the IPL 2018 auction, will lead the new Lucknow franchise in the upcoming fifteenth season of the cash-rich league.

Rahul has had a brilliant run with the bat in the 14th edition of IPL. The Karnataka star scored 626 runs from 13 matches and finished as the third-highest run-getter. Overall, Rahul has played 94 games in IPL, amassing 3273 runs at an average of 47.43. The right-handed batter has hit two hundreds and 27 half-centuries, with 132* being his highest score.

Not so long ago, PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia had shared his thoughts on Rahul’s future with the Kings, stressing that the franchise is not over-dependent on Rahul. Wadia had reckoned they have learned how to adapt over the years in the lucrative league.

“There are many players apart from KL Rahul, firstly. One player does not make up a team; I’ve always said that. Having said that, every player has a value, and one thing I will say is we’ve learnt to adjust and adapt throughout. Any team that hinges too much on one player that does prove beyond a point a liability. I think KL is exemplary in anything and everything he has done. But like I said, cricket is about 11 team members, not one. We’ve learnt to adjust, adapt and go forward and keep smiling,” Wadia had said as quoted by NDTV 24×7.

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November 25, 2021 at 02:00PM