KL Rahul was publicly humiliated by his franchise, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka after the team lost big to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday, May 8th.
After winning the toss, KL Rahul batted first and finished on 165/4 in 20 overs. Ayush Badoni hit 55* in 30 balls, Nicholas Pooran 48*, and skipper Rahul 29 in 33. SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma gave LSG bowlers little opportunity by chasing down the 166-run target in only 9.4 overs. Head hit 89* and Abhishek batted 75* to help SRH win by 10 wickets and 62 balls.
This humiliating defeat has made things more difficult for LSG in the playoff race, but SRH improved their NRR from negative to positive in just one match.
Following the match, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was spotted on the pitch having a heated conversation with captain Rahul. It was not a pleasant sight to watch Goenka furious over the team’s performance, and many people felt he should have waited until he was in the dressing room or a meeting room to discuss it rather than doing it in public.
It is unclear what terms or terminology Goenka used during his on-field ‘talk’ with Rahul, who will celebrate ten years of international cricket in December and has led the country in all three formats.
KL Rahul goes about his routine as usual, but disquiet in LSG contingent on how he was treated by owner Sanjiv Goenka
After the not so happy chat between the captain KL Rahul and owner Sanjiv Goenka in public after LSG’s loss to SRH in Hyderabad, reports have suggested a disquiet in franchise contingent over the whole issue.
The Indian Express understands that much of the talk between the owner and the captain centered around LSG’s approach with the bat. According to a couple of LSG travelling party members, the owners questioned the team’s style of play and pointed out a lack of intent.
Despite the tense environment in the team the day after the issue, business continued as usual.
In formal team meetings, it was discovered that Rahul continued with his customary routine. However, behind closed doors, there were discussions concerning Rahul’s future relationship with LSG.
LSG picked Rahul in a pre-auction deal for Rs 17 crore and the franchise finished third in 2022 and 2023 under his captaincy.
