KL Rahul breaks his silence on speculated move to RCB after being released from Lucknow Super Giants before IPL 2025 mega auction

The rumours first started circulating in the summer, right after the end of the 2024 IPL season. A leaked video from the LSG dugout showed franchise owner Sajeev Goenka publicly berating the then-captain after a defeat, leading to speculations about tensions within the team. Despite Goenka's efforts to downplay the situation with a private dinner invitation to the captain, and a visit to his office in Alipore, Kolkata before the retention announcements, the whispers persisted and intensified. Ultimately, LSG decided to release their captain, who had steered them to back-to-back playoff appearances.

Amid the speculations over Rahul's future at the LSG, RCB, his former franchise, dropped a teaser when he was spotted batting alongside Virat Kohli in Bengaluru ahead of the first Test against New Zealand, sending fans into overdrive.

Speaking to Star Sports, Rahul said that he would love to go back to RCB, but admitted the surprise that IPL auction often tends to throw.

"I most enjoyed playing at RCB. It’s home. You get to spend a lot of time to spend at home. I know the Chinnaswamy really well, I have grown up playing there. So, yeah, I really enjoyed playing at RCB," he said.

"Of course (Would you like to be back at RCB?) Bengaluru is home. People there know me as a local Kannada boy. Would be nice to go back there and get an opportunity. But, yeah, it’s an auction year, you can go anywhere," he said.

Rahul began his IPL journey at RCB in 2013 before reuniting with the team in 2016, following a two-year stint at Sunrisers Hyderabad, the year they reached the final.

The IPL final of 2016 still remains deeply embedded in the hearts of RCB players and fans. It was the closest Bengaluru came to the elusive trophy in 17 years of the tournament, before losing to Hyderabad in the final by eight runs.

“It’s long time ago, but it’s still fresh in my memories. I and Virat (Kohli) always talked about it a few times that 2016 is always a reminder that had one of us played a little longer, it would have been very different. It would have been a fairytale to be right at the bottom to win seven games to qualify and then win the final at home,” Rahul said.