Indian star KL Rahul was once approached by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to take over as captain and wicketkeeper-batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL), long before he joined the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
According to reports, the five-time IPL champions had made a direct offer to Rahul soon after MS Dhoni stepped down from captaincy ahead of the IPL 2022 season. The franchise viewed Rahul as an ideal successor to Dhoni — calm under pressure, tactically sharp, and capable of leading from the front.
CSK’s leadership transition plan
The CSK management, guided by Dhoni’s leadership vision, reportedly identified Rahul as the long-term leader who could carry forward the team’s legacy. His wicketkeeping ability was also seen as an additional advantage.
However, Rahul declined the high-profile offer, a move that surprised both Dhoni and the CSK think tank, as they had already begun planning around his potential captaincy.
Following Rahul’s decision, CSK handed the leadership to Ravindra Jadeja, but the experiment did not go as planned. The all-rounder struggled with form and captaincy responsibilities, leading Dhoni to resume charge midway through the IPL 2022 season.
Rahul’s decision and rise with LSG
While the reason behind Rahul’s refusal to join CSK remains unknown, he shares a strong bond with Dhoni and has often spoken of him as a mentor and role model. Rahul’s calm demeanour and admiration for Dhoni’s leadership style made him an ideal candidate, but he instead opted for a fresh challenge with the Lucknow Super Giants — a new franchise making its IPL debut in 2022.
His tenure as LSG captain turned out to be a remarkable success, as he led the side to playoff appearances in consecutive seasons. His consistency and leadership were widely praised across the cricketing fraternity.
However, following a reported fallout with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka after IPL 2024, Rahul parted ways with the franchise and joined Delhi Capitals (DC) as a specialist batter.
Rahul’s IPL journey and milestones
Since making his IPL debut in 2013, KL Rahul has represented five different franchises — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and now Delhi Capitals (DC).
His IPL career has been defined by consistency and adaptability. Rahul has crossed 500 runs in seven IPL seasons and remains the only player to score centuries for three different teams.
In 2024, he achieved a new milestone by becoming the fastest player in IPL history to complete 5,000 runs, underlining his dominance in the T20 format.
Injury setback and recovery
Despite his success, Rahul’s IPL journey hasn’t been without challenges. His 2023 season was marred by a severe thigh injury sustained during a clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which required surgery and ruled him out of the remainder of the season.
Speaking on the “2 Sloggers” podcast, Rahul recalled, “It was only one year… oh yes, it was 2023 — a bad, bad year.”
Now back to full fitness, Rahul aims to rebuild his IPL career with Delhi Capitals while continuing to remain an integral part of India’s white-ball setup.
With his calm temperament, leadership qualities, and batting prowess, KL Rahul continues to be one of India’s most dependable modern cricketers — one who could have been the next CSK captain, had he chosen differently.