• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Hard To Explain People Who Dont Understand Cricket Kl Rahul Takes Dig At Lsg Boss Goenka

"Hard to explain people who don't understand cricket": KL Rahul takes dig at LSG boss Goenka

Akshita Patel

KL Rahul takes sharp dig at Sanjiv Goenka [Source: @avgphoenixguy/X.com]KL Rahul takes sharp dig at Sanjiv Goenka [Source: @avgphoenixguy/X.com]

KL Rahul has finally spoken out, at least indirectly, about the heated confrontation with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka in 2024. Now, more than a year later, Rahul has given his side of the story, without naming names, but leaving no doubt about who he was referring to.

The incident, where Goenka had publicly lashed out at Rahul following a 10-wicket hammering at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, had gone viral and kicked off a huge debate about the way IPL team owners treat players and captains.

KL Rahul responds to the controversy surrounding Sanjiv Goenka

Speaking candidly with sports presenter Jatin Sapru recently, KL Rahul also opened up about the mental pressure of captaining an IPL franchise and how dealing with owners can sometimes be more exhausting than the cricket itself.

“What I found hard as a captain in the IPL was the number of meetings that you needed to do, the number of reviews that you needed to do, and the number of things that you needed to explain at the ownership level," Rahul said.

Rahul admitted that leading a franchise in IPL felt more tiring than playing 10 months of international cricket. 

"All of that is really like energy draining. So I realised at the end of IPL that I am more mentally and physically drained than after playing 10 months of international cricket. There are so many things. Coaches, captains, you’re just constantly being asked a lot of questions, and after a point, it almost feels like you’re being questioned as to why did you made this change."

KL Rahul, who has led Punjab Kings and LSG across multiple seasons, said that people from sporting backgrounds understand that defeats are part of the game, but others don’t. 

“I mean, these are questions that we never get asked through the year, right? Because the coaches who are there know what’s going on. You’re only answerable to the coach and the selectors who’ve all played cricket and understand the nuances of cricket and sport." 

He also revealed how owners often question every decision, from team selection to bowling changes to why the opposition succeeds where their own players don’t.

"No matter what you do and how many boxes you tick, there’s nothing in sport that guarantees victory. So that’s the hard part to explain to people who come from a non-sporting background."

In the aftermath of the heated conversation, LSG released KL Rahul into the mega auction pool in IPL 2025. He was then bought by DC for 14 crores.

When Goenka took a dig at Rahul

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka also took a sharp dig at KL Rahul after the franchise announced its retentions for the IPL 2025 mega auction. 

Rahul was released as the team kept Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan. 

Explaining the decision, Goenka said they wanted players with a mindset to win who put the team above personal goals, a comment widely seen as aimed at Rahul.