Team India wicketkeeper-batter, KL Rahul, came out to speak about the pressures of being the head of an IPL franchise before the next mini-auction, which is scheduled to be held next month. Rahul did not name Sanjeev Goenka but he said that it was mentally draining to receive explanations constantly in case of losses.
The right-hand batter had three seasons with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). In the 2024 season, videos of Goenka visibly denouncing Rahul were viral following the match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). In addition to being one of the most reliable batters in the IPL, his time as the captain of the team was not that successful.
KL Rahul takes a dig at LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka
The defeat of Lucknow in 2024 by SRH also created a dispute between KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka.
In 2024, Lucknow Super Giants lost by 10 wickets to Sunrisers Hyderabad where they chased a target of 165 in only 9.4 overs. Team owner Sanjiv Goenka established an animated discussion with KL Rahul after the defeat and their relationship is said to have declined after that.
In spite of being the best run-scorer in IPL 2024 in the LSG, Rahul was not offered a renewed contract before the 2025 mega auction. During his tenure as captain, Lucknow qualified as a playoff in the first two season after launching in 2022, but they were unable to make it to the final.
The Lucknow-based franchise has the highest run-getter in the IPL, the wicketkeeper-batter. In 38 games, he scored 1,410 run with an average of 41.47 and a strike of 130.67 with two centuries and 10 fifties.
I Am More Mentally and Physically Exhausted- KL Rahul
Addressing Jatin Sapru, KL Rahul did not mention Sanjiv Goenka directly but made it very clear that it is the pressure of being constantly questioned, which arises as a result of the franchise owners following the losses. Rahul claimed that he was mentally and physically drained when it comes to providing explanations to owners, more drained than a full international season.
The amount of meetings that you had to attend, the amount of reviews that you had to carry out, and the amount of things that you needed to expound at the ownership level was what I found difficult as a captain in the IPL. All that is just like energy eating. This made me realise at the conclusion of IPL that I am more exhausted mentally and physically than the 10 months of international cricket, Rahul said to Sapru.
Kl Rahul bashed Sanjiv Goenka and other franchise owners.
“who don’t know anything about cricket and slam the player irrespective of the fact that they play for their team. They are the international players and no one wants to lose a single game!” pic.twitter.com/b1JuiYcw68
— GillTheWill (@GillTheWill77) November 15, 2025
KL Rahul: Nothing in Sport Guarantees Victory
KL Rahul has highlighted that at the international level, there is an appraisal of decisions by coaches and selectors who are familiar with the game unlike the franchise owners who have no sporting background and might be expecting guaranteed results.
Those are questions, I mean, we do not get asked during the year, right? The coaches present know what is going on. You are accountable only to the coach and the selectors who have played the game of cricket and who know the intricacies of the game and sport, opined Rahul.
Whatever you do and how many boxes you fill there is nothing in sport which is a guarantee of winning. That is where the tough part lies to tell people with a non-sporting background, he added.
