‘Wasn’t the nicest thing’: Rahul opens up on animated chat with LSG owner during IPL 2024

New Delhi: India wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul has opened up on the animated chat between Lucknow Super Giants’ owner Sanjiv Goenka during the 2024 IPL when LSG were hammered by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

LSG were in a need of big win over SRH to qualfiy for the playoffs, but the team suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss. Afterwards, LSG owner appeared visibly displeased after the match’s outcome and was seen engaged in an intense discussion with skipper Rahul along the boundary line at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

“As a team, we were all in shock because we were at the stage in that tournament where every game was very important. We had to win, I think, three out of five games or two out of the last four games. When this happened, it was just a big shock for all of us,” said Rahul on Star Sports.

“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. I think it did affect the entire group. We still had a chance to make it into the playoffs. We had a chat as a team and tried to regroup, put everything aside, and try to put our best foot forward. We tried our best, but unfortunately, our best wasn’t good enough always. It was a bummer that we couldn’t really make the playoffs or win the season as we had hoped,” he added.

Although the content of their conversation was inaudible, the animated exchange between the owner and captain captured by the broadcaster, gained traction on social media. Experts and fans had suggested that discussions about the loss should take place in private rather than in front of spectators.

After LSG won the toss and opted to bat first, they posted a below-par total of 165, with skipper Rahul playing a sluggish knock of 29 off 33. Ayush Badoni’s 55 and Nicholas Pooran’s 48, in 99-run partnership gave the LSG a respectable finish. In reply, Openers Travis Head (89 off 30) and Abhishek (75 off 28) wreaked havoc on the LSG bowlers as SRH chased down the target of 166 runs in just 9.4 overs without any loss.

Speaking about the particular match, Rahul said, “I don’t really know how much was made outside, but I just remember it was probably one of the worst games I’ve been part of as a player. But also, just from behind the stumps, I was amazed at how Sunrisers battered us. We watched on TV how dominating or how dangerous Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were.

“But to see it from up close, anything that we did that day seemed to find the boundary. Any ball our bowlers bowled seemed to hit the middle of the bat and fly into the crowd. To get 160, 170 runs in nine odd overs was ridiculous. And almost like, we had to pinch ourselves to know what really happened.”

Notably, in the IPL 2025 retentions day, LSG let go of their captain Rahul, thus ending their three-year association with the right-handed batter. Instead of him, Pooran is their biggest retention at Rs 21 crore, followed by Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav at Rs 11 crore each, before Badoni and Mohsin Khan were retained at Rs 4 crore, respectively.

–IANS