'It did affect...,' KL Rahul on sideline chat with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka during IPL 2024

KL Rahul has revealed that the animated sideline conversation with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka during last season affected the entire group. Rahul, who was skipper for the side for three seasons, decided to quit and enter the pool for the upcoming mega auction before the next season.

The incident happened during a crucial game of LSG against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) which Lucknow went on to lose by 10 wickets. After the loss, a visibly upset Goenka was seen having an animated chat with a disheartened Rahul. The incident sparked widespread criticism of the franchise owner but the team swept the matter under the rug for the time being.

“Whatever happened on the field after the game wasn’t the nicest thing to be part of or something that anyone wants to see on the cricket field. So yeah, I think it did affect the entire group,” Rahul said speaking on Star Sports recently after the option for going into the auction pool.

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LSG retained five players ahead of the IPL 2025: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi and two uncapped Indian players – Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, leaving them with an option of Right to Match (RTM) card at the auction.

Rahul, when asked about his decision to leave LSG, said that he wanted to go someplace where he could find freedom.

"I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options, and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom. Team atmosphere would be lighter; sometimes you just need to move away and find something good for yourself, and I have been out of the T20 team for a while," he had said.

The IPL 2025 mega auction is scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.