KL Rahul opens up about leaving LSG: ‘I wanted to play in a place where I could feel free’

KL Rahul expressed his desire to explore opportunities in the auction and is optimistic about finding a team where he can showcase his talents in a more relaxed and free-spirited environment.

"I wanted to start fresh, I wanted to explore my options and I wanted to go and play where I could find some freedom, where the team atmosphere could be something lighter. Sometimes you need to move away and find something good for yourself," KL Rahul said in a promo on Star Sports.

His stint with LSG saw him play 14 matches in the IPL 2024 season, where he scored 520 runs at an average of 37.14. However, his strike rate of 136.13 faced considerable criticism, with many arguing that his approach often hampered the team's overall performance. The franchise has opted to retain Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan.

Sanjiv Goenka discussed the rationale behind the retentions, highlighting that keeping Nicholas Pooran was an obvious choice, reflecting the franchise's commitment to maintaining a strong core.

"Our first retention, which was an automatic choice, happened in less than two minutes. That was Nicholas Pooran. We have two capped retentions: Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav, and two uncapped: Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. It was a process involving Zaheer Khan, Justin Langer, and the analyst," Goenka said in the video.

A total of 1,574 players ahead of the IPL mega auction to be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25.