Punjab Kings skipper KL Rahul posted a heartfelt message for his fans on his social media accounts on Wednesday. The Punjab Kings wanted to retain the swashbuckling right-hander. However, it was not to be as KL Rahul wanted to explore new opportunities by going back into the auction pool.
KL Rahul took to his Twitter account and posted a picture of him going to the pavilion. The caption read:
It was a good ride, thank you for the love ❤️ see you on the other side 🙌🏻
It was a good ride, thank you for the love ❤️ see you on the other side 🙌🏻 @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/fFKtlOqghR
Advertisement— K L Rahul (@klrahul11) December 1, 2021
Head coach Anil Kumble was disappointed that the Punjab Kings weren’t able to retain KL Rahul. However, he respected Rahul’s decision as according to the rules of the IPL retention there needs to be mutual consent in order for a player to be retained. Punjab Kings have retained Mayank Agarwal, another prolific run-getter, for INR 14 crores and young pacer Ashdeep Singh for INR 4 crores ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Here is what Kumble had to say in a video during the retention process:
“We had chosen Rahul as the captain of the team so that he can become the fulcrum of the team, but he decided to go into the auction. We respect that. It’s a player’s prerogative.”
KL Rahul was a prolific run-scorer for Punjab Kings
KL Rahul was one of the hottest properties in the IPL 2018 mega auction. He had missed the earlier season due to injury but was a crucial component of a highly successful Royal Challengers Bangalore team that went all the way to the finals. Punjab Kings picked up Rahul for a whopping INR 11 crores and the opener set the ground ablaze, hitting the fastest IPL fifty off just 14 balls.
Rahul continued scoring runs with ease and scored heavily in each season, with such staggering numbers that 593 runs were the least he managed in one season. He will surely be dearly missed by the Punjab Kings as they didn’t just lose their captain but also a fantastic batsman.
