Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 18: In the forthcoming IPL 2022, KL Rahul will lead the yet-to-be-named Lucknow franchise, according to the sources.
Rahul is one of the athletes Lucknow has selected from the draught ahead of the Bengaluru mega auction on February 12 and 13. Marcus Stoinis, an Australian all-rounder, and Ravi Bishnoi, an uncapped Indian leg spinner, are the other two players.
‘Rahul will lead Lucknow’s team. The other two draught picks are still up for grabs,” said an IPL source.
According to the sources, Lucknow franchise would enter the February auction with a budget of INR 60 crore, including INR 15 crore for Rahul, INR 11 crore for Stoinis, and INR 4 crore for Bishnoi.
Rahul led Punjab Kings for the past two seasons but did not want to stay at the franchise and was subsequently released by the management. Since 2018, the 29-year-old has been one of the most consistent batters in the IPL.
Notably, Rahul began his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013, then moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, then back to Royal Challengers in 2016, before being purchased by the Punjab franchise (formerly Kings XI Punjab) for Rs 11 crore in the 2018 auction. Rahul led Punjab Kings for two seasons before deciding not to stay with the team and being discharged by the management. Bishnoi also played for Punjab, while Stoinis played for Delhi Capitals.
