Reports: KL Rahul to resign as LSG captain amid doubts over IPL 2025 retention

Lucknow Super Giants' captain KL Rahul is contemplating stepping down from his leadership role following the team's recent setbacks in the IPL 2024. After consecutive defeats, including a crushing loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, speculation is rife about Rahul's future as captain.

The defeat against SRH saw LSG struggling on the pitch, with their batters failing to keep up with the pace set by the opposition. Reports suggest that Rahul might take responsibility for the team's poor performance and step down as captain for the remaining two league games.

According to Hindustan Times, there is a possibility that Rahul will focus solely on his batting in the upcoming matches, with the management supporting such a decision. This move comes amidst growing uncertainty about Rahul's retention before the mega auctions for IPL 2025 edition.

“There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind,” sources were saying as quoted by Hindustan Times.

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The decision to potentially step down as captain comes in the wake of owner Sanjiv Goenka's recent heated argument with the skipper after the loss against SRH, reminiscent of his actions with the Rising Pune Supergiants when he replaced MS Dhoni with Steve Smith ahead of the 2017 edition.

LSG's chances of making it to the playoffs are still mathematically alive, but they face an uphill task to improve their net run rate significantly. In case the stumper-batter relinquishes his captaincy, vice-captain Nicholas Pooran is expected to lead the team in the remaining matches.

The Karnataka born's performance with the bat has been noteworthy throughout the season, but concerns linger over his strike rate, which is among the lowest in the top-ten batters. His inability to accelerate the scoring rate early in the innings has raised questions about his suitability for the T20 format.

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As LSG navigate through this challenging phase, the spotlight remains on Rahul's leadership and his future role within the team, with fans eagerly awaiting his decision regarding the captaincy.