KL Rahul took advantage of Nicholas Pooran. (Photo: PTI)
The retention deadline for IPL 2025 ends today i.e. Thursday, October 31. All teams have made the list of their retained players. However, its official disclosure will be done only in the evening, but before that came a great news from Lucknow Super Giants. According to media reports, KL Rahul has reaped huge benefits for a foreign player by rejecting LSG’s maximum retention offer. This player will become rich because of him in Diwali.
This player will be rich in Diwali
Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjeev Goenka had earlier offered KL Rahul Rs 18 crore as retainer. But according to ESPN Cricinfo, he rejected this offer. He decided to go to the mega auction. Due to his refusal, Sanjeev Goenka has decided to replace the explosive batsman Nicholas Pooran. According to the RevSports report, Puran met the team owner on Wednesday, October 30 in Kolkata and sealed a deal for the top retainer for Rs 20 crore. Had KL Rahul accepted Lucknow’s offer, Puran would have gotten a second retainer and the money could have also been reduced.
As soon as the retention picture clears up on Diwali, there will be a shower of money on Nicholas Puran. Earlier in the media report, there were reports that after KL Rahul’s departure, Puran could also be named captain. Apart from Nicholas Puran, Lucknow Super Giants can retain Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. Captain KL Rahul and big players like Marcus Stoinis and Quinton de Kock can come up for auction.
Rahul and Puran’s performance for LSG
In a way, KL Rahul’s rejection of the offer is considered a profitable deal for LSG. Because his performance last season was not good. Under his captaincy, the Lucknow team was ranked at number 7. Rahul was criticized for his slow batting. In one match, there was a dispute between him and Sanjeev Goenka on the field itself. Last season, Rahul scored 520 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 136. On the other hand, Nicholas Puran is known for his explosive batting. Last season, he batted at a strike rate of 178 and scored 499 runs. The team owners are very happy with their performance. That’s why they have given him KL Rahul’s place.
