KL Rahul Retention : Lokesh Rahul's inability to adapt to the changing dynamics of T20 batting has seen him fall short in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) retention race with the franchise opting to retain power-packed finisher Nicholas Pooran, as per the liking of head coach Justin Langer and mentor Zaheer Khan.

In August, PTI first reported that Rahul's poor strike rate could cost him the captaincy. Currently, LSG has picked Pooran along with pacer Mayank Yadav, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, and Ayush Badoni to retain as their top players ahead of the upcoming IPL auction.

"The LSG has only looked at the performances of the last three years and particularly Rahul's own batting style and strike rate, which are important factors in arriving at any decision," a source privy to developments in the LSG told PTI on Wednesday.

He said, "That's why Langer and Zaheer kept all the figures with them... Rahul's strike rate during three years with LSG has been 136.13 (616 runs), 113.23 (274) and 135.38 (520). In today's T20 era, when even the Indian team had to change its strategy, these figures were not acceptable. " In comparison, Pooran, who usually bats in the last 10 overs, had a strike rate of 144.34 in 2022 and was very impressive with 172.95 and 178.21 in the next two seasons.

The source said, "If you look at 2024, Rahul's 520 runs will not help the team qualify. Most of the matches were won and lost due to our powerplay batting.'' On the other hand, Puran is a popular member of the team and one of the leaders in the team who has also captained the West Indies.

As for Mayank Yadav, he is the only bowler in the country who bowls at a speed of over 150 kmph and LSG invested in him when he was not a big player. "Mayank is like a domestic player for LSG. These injuries don't matter because of his talent as he is an asset for us," the source said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals have not disclosed whether they will retain Rishabh Pant. His future depends on how much leeway the GMR management is willing to give to the player chosen by co-owner JSW. The support team that Pant worked with included head coach Ricky Ponting, team director Sourav Ganguly, and assistant coach Praveen Amre but he is not on the team this year and it is not pleasant.

Instead, Venugopal Rao and Hemang Badani were given the responsibility and whether Pant will be able to coordinate with them or not is a big question.

An IPL source said, "If Pant goes to the auction, then believe me there could be a tough bidding and the figure of Rs 25 crore could be crossed in the IPL."