IPL 2022: KL Rahul reveals the reason behind leaving Punjab Kings

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper KL Rahul has opened up on the challenges that would be associated with a new franchise, and termed it as one of the reasons for switching from Punjab Kings. The 29-year-old, who captained the Punjab franchise in the last two seasons of the IPL, had been in supreme form with the bat. But he did not want to be retained, and instead, was drafted into the Lucknow franchise ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction for INR 17 Crore.

The right-hander accumulated 626 runs in the previous season and finished third in the race for the top run scorers. Despite Rahul’s fantastic numbers with the bat in the last three years, Punjab failed to progress to the playoffs. While many speculated it as one of the reasons for Rahul leaving the franchise, the latter himself came up with the actual reasons for joining a new team.

I wanted to be a part of something like this: KL Rahul

Rahul mentioned that he was very much delighted with the experience he has got so far in the LSG unit, and noted his involvement in different discussions that took place among the group while building the new team. He added that the IPL 2022 mega auction days and retention times were very much new to him, as he had to think from a team’s perspective.

“I mean whatever little time that I have gotten with Lucknow Super Giants obviously has been a very new experience for me because I have never sat in meetings where we are discussing about each and every player about how we want to set up the franchise and what we need to , you know, what our core needs to be, you know there is so much happening including the auction, before the auction, the retention part, you know there’s so much that has happened and all that was very new to me,” Rahul said on Red Bull cricket room on Clubhouse.

Rahul, meanwhile, explained that the building of a new team from scratch excited him a lot, and that had prompted him to move from his previous franchise. He added he wanted to be part of an experience like this to grow himself in stature and was looking forward to the challenges.

“It was such a fun experience and I’m so glad to get this opportunity to be, you know, be part of a new team, be part of a new franchise and build it from scratch, and that’s what really excited me and that’s why I made the movement to a new team because I wanted to be a part of something like this and learn along the way, and this is something that would be good for me in my journey and it’ll help me grow as a person and grow as a cricketer as well. So yes, it’s exciting and I am really looking ahead and looking forward to what’s in store for all of us,” he added.