Watch: Chinnaswamy crowd chants 'RCB captain' to welcome KL Rahul in Duleep Trophy 2024

A group of fans who had arrived to watch Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy 2024 fixture between India A and India B at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru chanted "RCB captain" when KL Rahul walked out for a warm-up session before play resumed.

Rahul is one of the best batters from Karnataka to have represented India. He is also a former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player. The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled with form and injuries in recent times and that has made him irregular in the Indian setup. He has gone out of favour as far as the Indian T20 team is concerned but continues to remain a solid performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, last season, his relationship with Sanjiv Goenka, his IPL franchise - Lucknow Super Giants' owner, seemed to have been soured after the duo had a heated discussion on the ground.

With the mega auctions set to be held ahead of the IPL 2025 season, speculation of Rahul's exit from LSG has been rife for a while. According to reports, Rahul was approached by RCB, with the franchise looking for a change in leadership, moving on from the Faf du Plessis era. The star Indian cricketer recently met Goenka in Kolkata and reportedly expressed his interest to be retained.

Also Read: LSG did not had analysts, it was all Gautam Gambhir's team: Sanjiv Goenka

"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," an IPL Governing Council member, privy to developments in LSG, was quoted as saying by India Today.

"Look, Rahul wants retention but till LSG knows how many are to be retained and what's the new purse, they can't commit anyone," the IPL source said.

Also Read: Exclusive: LSG allrounder Krishnappa Gowtham sheds light on Sanjiv Goenka-KL Rahul episode

Goenka referred to Rahul as "family" and the 32-year-old, who is representing India A in the Duleep Trophy, is expected to be retained unless some drastic developments take place. However, the Chinnaswamy crowd showed their love for Rahul on Saturday, September 7, anticipating a memorable homecoming.