KL Rahul was very successful during his stint with the Punjab Kings in the last four seasons of the Indian Premier League. The right-handed batter set a record for the fastest IPL fifty in his debut match for the Mohali-based franchise. Two years later, he became the captain of the team.
In IPL 2020, Rahul joined Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in an elite club of Indian batters to have won the Orange Cap award. Although the Punjab Kings did not qualify for the playoffs under his leadership, Rahul was among the top run-getters in IPL 2020 and 2021.
The Kings wished to retain their skipper ahead of IPL 2022. However, Rahul preferred to go into the auction. Just before the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Rahul inked a deal with the Lucknow Super Giants, becoming the most expensive player in IPL 2022. The Lucknow-based franchise roped him in for a whopping INR 17 crore and named him their new captain.
In a recent chat with Red Bull Cricket, KL Rahul opened up on his decision to leave the Punjab Kings team. Here’s what he had to say:
“I have been with them for four years and I’ve had a great run with them. Just wanted to see what’s in store for me and if there’s a new journey for me. It was a tough call obviously. I have been attached to Punjab for a long time. I wanted to see if I can do something else.”
KL Rahul will make his debut as LSG Captain on March 28
Next Monday, fans will witness the first-ever match between the Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans. KL Rahul will lead Lucknow, while Gujarat will play under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
It will be interesting to see if the Super Giants can get off to a winning start in IPL 2022.
