KL Rahul reveals his worst IPL season was with LSG

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There are hardly any players who have dominated for every franchise they played for. It becomes a bit difficult to accustom in a new setup, master a new role, work under different coaches and managements and still be able to put your best foot forward. But for KL Rahul, it is his usual business. The talented keeper-batter has been given countless roles in the Indian team, which has potentially helped him improve as a cricketer with each passing franchise.

KL Rahul’s class at IPL

Having represented five different IPL franchises, Rahul is one of the best run accumulators in the history of the tournament. Not everyone can boast of having five consecutive seasons of over 500 runs in the IPL history! He has captained two franchises, hammered a 14-ball fifty, and is also the only player to hit centuries for three different IPL teams. Also, he broke the record of the fastest 5000 runs in the IPL this year only.

Having said that, there was a time when Rahul was at the crosshairs of immense criticisms. Particularly owing to his strike rate, Rahul faced a lot of chiding from fans and experts alike. Despite scoring a lot of runs, he failed to inspire the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and was let go after IPL 2021. Then came one of the most interesting chapters in his IPL career when Rahul was picked as the first draft pick by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Signed for a whopping Rs 17 crore, Rahul was the captain of the franchise for three years that saw him muster 1410 runs at an average of 41.47.

KL Rahul’s worst season was with LSG

The first season in 2022 was great, as LSG finished third. However, what happened the next year forced Rahul to label it as his ‘worst-ever’ IPL season. While speaking at a ‘2 Sloggers’ video, where Rahul reacted to his own memes candidly, Rahul was asked about his worst IPL season. Answering, Rahul first replied that it was 2022 (he thought he got injured in 2022) but was quickly corrected by the fellow host that he got injured in 2023. Rahul validated that it was IPL 2023 with LSG that saw him get injured mid-season.

Well, during LSG’s 9th match of IPL 2023, Rahul got injured while fielding. Against RCB, pulled up with an injury to his right leg. Tests confirmed a significant tendon tear in his right thigh, requiring surgery. This has left a sour taste in Rahul’s mouth. Thankfully, Rahul returned superbly later that year when he hammered a 111* against Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2023.

KL Rahul-LSG: An estranged relationship

However, the conversation in the video also seemed to take a veiled dig at what happened the next season. Well, Rahul’s relationship with the Lucknow franchise became controversial after an alleged fallout between him and owner Sanjiv Goenka.

The infamous and ugly one-way altercation after LSG’s humbling loss to SRH saw a visibly angry Goenka go at and have a publicly animated conversation with Rahul. With media reporting on a fractured relationship, Rahul meets Goenka in Kolkata before the two parties mutually part ways before the IPL 2025 mega auction. The LSG didn’t post anything about Rahul for almost a year on their social media channels either.

Now, part of the Delhi Capitals (DC), Rahul is in a much better space. The IPL 2025 saw him hammer 539 runs at a much-improved strike rate of 149.72, his best-ever in the last seven years. Also, Rahul batted in the middle order for DC, showcasing his flexibility as a batter, a quality not many possess in this era.