All the 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have finalized their list of retained and released players ahead of the 2025 mega auction on October 31. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) made a bold move decided to release their captain, KL Rahul.
While there were speculations about the franchise targeting Rishabh Pant, who was also released by Delhi Capitals (DC), recent reports suggest that the Super Giants have a different player in mind.
Ishan Kishan to replace KL Rahul in LSG?
As per a report by PTI, the Lucknow Super Giants are eyeing Ishan Kishan as a potential replacement for KL Rahul. Kishan was a significant release by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. However, Mumbai Indians still have an RTM card remaining and might use it to retain Kishan.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), with a substantial purse of Rs 83 crore, are reportedly interested in acquiring KL Rahul in the IPL 2025 auction. There are even speculations that Rahul could be considered as a potential captaincy option for RCB, despite rumors of Virat Kohli resuming the captaincy role.
Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow Super Giants, justified the team's retention decisions by emphasizing the importance of player mindset. He stated that the retained players prioritize team success over personal ambitions. This statement could be interpreted as an indirect criticism of KL Rahul, who was released by the franchise.
"It was a simple mindset to go in for players, who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and personal aspirations,” Sanjiv Goenka said after the IPL 2025 retentions.
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Lucknow Super Giants have retained five players ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The retained players include Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan. With this, the Super Giants will have a purse of Rs. 69 crore to spend at the auction.
Lucknow Super Giants Players Retained
Nicholas Pooran - Rs 21 crore
Ravi Bishnoi - Rs 11 crore
Mayank Yadav - Rs 11 crore
Ayush Badoni - Rs 4 crore
Mohsin Khan - Rs 4 crore
