'Coming from business background doesn't guarantee win' - KL Rahul's take on IPL owners

As the mega Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 approaches, player retention and team composition have become hot topics. Recently, KL Rahul, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper, made headlines with his comments that some interpreted as a criticism of data-centric team management approaches. Rahul's relationship with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka has been under scrutiny since last season when a video of an animated discussion between the two went viral.

Despite attempts to downplay the incident, rumors about Rahul's future with the franchise have continued. The cricketer's recent meeting with Goenka in Kolkata, reportedly to discuss retentions, has only fueled speculation. The 32-year-old recently shared his thoughts on the use of data in cricket, particularly in the IPL. 

“Data is used a lot in cricket today. You can easily pick the player who scores the most runs during a certain phase in the game, and people have done that. We have watched the IPL and see how the league works and see the owners coming from a business background, where everything works on data,” he said on Nikhil Kamat's podcast.

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They research and pick the team: KL Rahul

His revelations have raised eyebrows, with some wondering if they were aimed at LSG's management style under Goenka. Rahul emphasized that while data can identify top performers, it doesn't account for the unpredictability of sports.

"They research and pick the team, but it doesn't guarantee that you will win every game. You might get the best player based on data, but they might have a horrible year. Every player can have bad day in sports,” he added.

Also read: LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka meets KL Rahul in Kolkata

As for Rahul's future with LSG, the situation remains uncertain. An IPL Governing Council member, speaking anonymously, revealed that while the wicketkeeper-batter has expressed his desire to be retained, the franchise is awaiting clarity on retention rules from the BCCI before making any commitments.

"Yes, Rahul came to Kolkata and met Dr Goenka at RPG head office. He has clearly told Dr Goenka that he wants to be retained. However, till BCCI comes up with retention policy, LSG management wouldn't want to chalk out their plans," the Governing Council member told.