The 15th edition of the world’s best T20 league will kick off on Saturday, March 26. The two finalists from last season will lock horns in the opening match at Wankhede Stadium. With two new teams added to the competition, it will be a ten-team affair. Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants will start their maiden campaigns in the upcoming season.
Before the mega auction, all the teams were asked to retain a maximum of four players from their team. It made all the teams release many superstars from their teams ahead of the auction. As a result, some of the big names came under the hammer at the auction. After the auction, the squads of all the teams were reshuffled.
The retention policy made the franchises release some of their best players. On the other hand, some players chose to leave their former teams as per their choice. KL Rahul, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, is also among those who have decided to leave their former franchise. Rahul was part of the Punjab Kings from 2018 to 2019.
The Indian opener was an integral part of the Punjab Kings in the IPL. He played his first match for the franchise in the 2018 season and represented them for four seasons. The right-hander had been their best batter in the last four seasons. And that’s the reason the franchise decided to handover the captaincy role to Rahul in 2020. However, Rahul opened up about his decision to part ways with Punjab.
“It was a tough decision” KL Rahul
Speaking to Red Bull Cricket, Rahul said that he had a great time playing for the Punjab Kings for the last four years. He also expressed that the decision was very difficult to take, but he wanted to see what he could get from other teams. Rahul concluded, “I have been attached to Punjab for a long time. I wanted to see if I can do something else.”
On the other hand, Punjab head coach, Anil Kumble also revealed that they wanted to retain KL but it was his decision to leave the side. In an interaction with Star Sports, Kumble said that the management wanted to retain him, which is why they made him the captain. But in the end, he himself decided to participate in the auction. He further added, “We respect that, we honour his decision. It’s the player’s prerogative.”
