Not LSG Or PBKS! KL Rahul Reveals Three-Time Runners-Up As IPL Team He 'Most Enjoyed Playing At'

KL Rahul will be one of the biggest names up for grabs in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction after his three-year stint with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ended after the franchise did not name him in his retention list.Rahul is set be among the highest paid players in the auction scheduled to take place in Jeddah on November 24 to 25. The 32-year-old will go under the hammer for the first time since 2018 when Punjab Kings (PBKS) purchased him for Rs. 11 crore. Rahul was a run machine with the bat for PBKS and made 2548 runs in 55 matches over four seasons at an average of 56.62 with two centuries. He also captained them in the 2020 and 2021 season. However, he decided to leave the franchise ahead of the 2022 mega auction and signed up for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping salary of Rs. 17 crore in a pre-auction draft.Rahul has led LSG in all three seasons and scored 1410 runs in 38 matches at an average of 41.47.

KL Rahul Reveals IPL Team He Most Enjoyed At Despite having the most productive years of his career at PBKS and LSG while leading both teams for extended periods, Rahul named Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as the franchise he most enjoyed playing. He recalled the 2016 season when he was a key part of the RCB team which reached the final. "In 2016 when I went back to RCB, it could have been a fairytale story, most enjoyed playing at RCB. Bangalore is home and the people there know me as a local Kannada boy. Unfortunately in sports, your best is not good enough always. I have always been someone who has tried very hard and I'll find a way to bounce back. I'll find a way to better my cricket. I am okay with any role or any responsibility," said Rahul to Star Sports. Rahul joined RCB in the 2013 season and played five matches before being signed up by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2014. Rahul returned to the Bengaluru-based franchise in a trade deal in 2016. Batting in the middle-order and playing as the wicket-keeper batter, Rahul had a brilliant season with 397 runs in 14 matches at an average of 44.11 and strike-rate of 146.69. He missed the 2017 season due to an injury and was not retained by RCB ahead of the 2018 campaign. The rumour mill has been strong that Rahul could return to the Bengaluru-based franchise in the 2025 IPL Auction.