Sports Corner

KL Rahul should be retained if he wants to be retained

TVL
TVL


Aakash Chopra reckons the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) should retain KL Rahul ahead of the IPL 2025 auction only if the player is willing to stay back. He noted that it’s difficult to find a captain and a quality player like the Karnataka batter at the auction.

LSG finished seventh in IPL 2024 after reaching the playoffs in the last two editions of the tournament. Although Rahul amassed 520 runs at an impressive average of 37.14 in 14 innings, the cricketing pundits questioned his underwhelming strike rate at times.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that LSG should hold on to Nicholas Pooran and Rahul.

“Nicholas Pooran should be retained in my opinion. KL Rahul should be retained if he wants to be retained because you want a captain and you won’t get an Indian player of that quality,” he reasoned (8:40).

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However, the former India opener wasn’t convinced whether Marcus Stoinis should be retained.

“Marcus Stoinis is in the maybe or maybe not category. If he is good, he is very, very good, but the good days are often fewer than bad days. So that is a concern. You want more good days,” Chopra explained.

Pooran smashed 499 runs at an excellent strike rate of 178.21 in 14 innings in the recently concluded season. Stoinis aggregated 388 runs at a strike rate of 147.52 in 14 matches and picked up four wickets.

“I won’t want to retain anyone apart from Ravi Bishnoi in bowling” – Aakash Chopra on LSG’s other potential retentions

Ravi Bishnoi picked up 10 wickets in 14 innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]Ravi Bishnoi picked up 10 wickets in 14 innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]
Ravi Bishnoi picked up 10 wickets in 14 innings in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra named Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav, if the latter is available for a reduced price, as the only potential bowling retentions for LSG.

“I won’t want to retain anyone apart from Ravi Bishnoi in bowling. If I am getting Mayank Yadav in the uncapped category for three to four crores, I might retain him, but I will let everyone else go. I will also let Krunal Pandya go. I will not retain anyone,” he said (9:10).

The renowned commentator urged the Lucknow-based franchise to release all other players and start afresh.

“I will say that I will start afresh. I will let Quinton de Kock, Kyle Mayers and Ashton Turner go because I feel it’s time to make a team with more specialists because bits and pieces won’t work at their ground. Players who play proper cricket, who can hit sixes and bowl well with the big side boundaries, will work here. I will be tempted to press the reboot button,” Chopra stated.

Kyle Mayers didn’t play a single game for LSG in IPL 2024. Quinton de Kock and Ashton Turner endured underwhelming campaigns this season, averaging 22.73 and 10.50 respectively.