KL Rahul: The journey from poster boy to uncertainty

For any so-called seasonal cricket fan, Kannur Lokesh Rahul is a popular name. For those who have never opened their windows other than the Indian Premier League, they can't reckon the beast KL who once smashed for fun while captaining for Kings XI Punjab!

KL, who was once heralded as one of the most versatile cricketers in the Indian circuit, is now hanging at a precarious point in his career. A story that could have had garlands of brilliance somehow got overpowered by unwanted controversy and unhealed injuries.

Even though the comeback from the controversy was strong, that from the injury not only shuffled his age-old position but dragged him to uncertainty—if he will be in the playing XI or not.

Rejection haunts his present

Rahul bending and touching the pitch—a simple and unintentional gesture that received retirement exxaggeration from fans. One can't actually guess if the fans are speculating or demanding his retirement from the team. 

In fact, Team India itself is in utter confusion, juggling with the express rookie Sarfaraz Khan and a sturdy senior Rahul. 

Sarafaraz, who himself was struggling to get a spot somehow managed to get in, played two series, but as injury replacements. This time it was the neck pain of Shubhman Gill that earned Sarfaraz a spot, and him giving India a respected score. 

Will it be justified for the shattered KL failing to make his mark in the team, asking for a spot on the base of seniority, especially sidelining the in-form Sarfaraz? Forget about KL; the team itself has no idea.

The team is probably trying to figure out a possible outcome. Earlier this morning, the newly appointed bowling head coach of the Indian team, Morne Morkel, was seen bowling Rahul in the nets. Any answer received? 

An IPL beast to uncertain retention

Remember the 2019 version of Kings XI Punjab? The team had all the names of who would simply "toss" and not "smash" the ball outside the park.

Priety Zinta's team was ornamented with all the batting names that were needed to entertain the fans: Nicky P, Chris Gayle, and David Miller. The two openers, rather the best-friend duo Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul would gift his team a blistering start.

At that point, Rahul was overcoming the consequences of the controversy. But who cares? He racked up stellar numbers, amassing 593 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2019 and following it up with another solid season.

KL got the team's captaincy in the 2020-21 session, scoring a massive 760 runs at an average of 44.60 with a strike rate over 140. Notably, the then Indian skipper Virat Kohli was just 1 run ahead of him, scoring 761 runs at an average of 54.35.

Retention Declined

A dominating name in the IPL periphery is now suffering from retension clouds. In the previous session, Rahul was seen in a tussel with his present team Lucknow Super Team's owner, Sanjiv Goyenka.

In the 2025 session, there are speculations that Rahul may not be having a future with the Super Giants, considering the form he displayed last year, coupled with his exile from Team India's T20I side.

Rahul didn't get the vote of confidence from LSG bosses before the retention deadline.

According to a report in the Times of India, LSG mentor Zaheer Khan and coach Justin Langer analysed Rahul's role in the franchise's losses last season. They figured out that the team may suffer hugely due to the number of balls Rahul plays in the middle before scoring runs.

Marred by controversy, Rahul lost battle to his form

Being absolutely silent may also lead to a suspension in three matches, and that's what KL faced in 2019. 

In 2019, KL’s career faced a major setback after appearing on the controversial show "Koffee with Karan." When it was just Hardik Pandya who made inappropriate comments, Rahul too suffered with his friend.

He was thus sent home mid-series during India’s tour of Australia. This episode came at a time when Rahul was already struggling with form, having racked up a string of low scores. The suspension felt like the final blow, pushing his red-ball career further into uncertainty.

Though he returned to the fold after the controversy, the damage had been done. Despite a strong showing in white-ball cricket, the Test door remained firmly closed.

While India’s cricketing calendar heavily revolved around Test matches, Rahul’s absence from red-ball cricket became increasingly noticeable. With the emergence of players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who cemented their spots, Rahul found himself sidelined.

The Wounds of Injuries and Lost Opportunities

Injuries have been a bar to Rahul's development. The thigh injury he sustained during an IPL 2023 match against RCB further added to his woes.

Even though the surgery was successful, as Rahul informed via his social media, his road to a successful comeback was halted. 

Talents who have been benched for so long, like Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, have made into India’s white-ball team. Traditionarily an opener in the red ball cricket, KL had to sacrifice his position for youngsters like Jaiswal and, in many instances, to Shubhman Gill.

A Steady Decline in Form

KL Rahul's stats in the test don't complement his actual accomplishment. Ideally, he is the one of those Indian batters to have had centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa. 

A batter whose majority of the innings fell to the drop zone in the fifties has an average of just 33.87 after 53 tests.  Among the 20 players who have played more than 80 innings for India in the history of Test cricket in the top six batting positions, Rahul has the worst average.

Many say he lacks patience, which contradicts his techniques and strokeplay, but him standing up for the team in need can rarely be denied.

The Twilight of a Career?

But in recent days, people are denying that; it may be out of frustration or expectation.

The terribly slow innings he played in the World Cup final (66 runs in 107 balls) not only brought him criticism but haunted himself, which he expressed in a podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin.

The "GPS tracker" of the team, who gallantly accepted the gloves in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, did a great job but somehow failed with his bat when his team mostly needed it. Once a poster boy in the white ball cricket got dragged under speculation.

Last nail to the coffin, exclusion from the T20 World Cup

Many expected the USA pitch to behave slowly. KL, who has earlier proved himself as an anchor, was a probable name in the list.

But the result worked otherwise. The image of Rahul, once a promising young cricketer with the world at his feet, is now tinged with melancholy.

Having the captain Rohit Sharma on his side, the chief selector of BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, announced that there won't be any KL Rahul in the plan.

He announced, "KL is a terrific player. We were looking for players [who could play] in the middle order; KL opens [for LSG]. Sanju [Samson] and [Rishabh] Pant can play in the middle; we felt these two are better in the latter stages of the innings."

But who knows if it was his slow start of the innings, turning into a curse?

Is There a Way Back for KL Rahul?

KL, who was dropped from the last Border Gavaskar Trophy, found his way into the team in the World Test Championship. But at what cost? as a replacement for injured Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.

Rahul, who is sporty at any position in the team, be it batting or keeping gloves, is now adjusting to his in-and-out role.

If its just his form or some cricketing politics, what he mentioned to his LSG coach Justin Langer is still not clear.

However, while his recent struggles have been disheartening, KL Rahul remains a fighter. His journey, filled with peaks and troughs, has never lacked resilience. With time still on his side, the question lingers—can KL Rahul find his way back to the top?

Only time will tell. For now, the gentle fall of this once radiant star continues to cast a shadow over Indian cricket.