On LSG Releasing KL Rahul, Ganguly Gives Blunt 'Look In The Mirror' Verdict

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly feels KL Rahul needs some course correction after the wicketkeeper-batter was released by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. Rahul led LSG in the franchise's first three IPL seasons, having been drafted to the squad ahead of the 2022 season. However, following the aftermath of his intense discussion with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka last season, Rahul was let go by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Ganguly suggested Rahul needs some self assessment and decide how he wants to prolong his career.

"Yeah, confidence. He has to speak to himself. He has to speak to himself and say, just put everything behind. Ups and downs are part and parcel of sports. Confidence will go up and down. You have to bring it back by working hard in the nets. I know he has gone through a lot. Lucknow Super Giants have released him. I do not know whether they will buy him back in the auction. I am sure he will find a good team and get his worth in the IPL. But these things put pressure on players," Ganguly told RevSportz.

Ganguly added that Rahul needs to look in the mirror and reflect on what went wrong. He also advised him to add a fresh approach to his game, especially with the young players taking their game to a next level, especially in T20Is.

"So, I think he has got to sit with himself and get away from everything, all his friends and family, team and IPL owners, auctions and self discover. Look at the mirror and say, I need to play differently. I need to get tough inside and fight this period. He has got a fantastic 100 in South Africa last time round. He can score hundreds in these conditions. But the mind has to believe that and the fight has to be there," he added.

"In and out of the team, he is seeing young players play well in T20s. You see what they have done in South Africa. He has to change and cannot keep playing the same way and expect to be picked all the time, because somebody else will come and get picked," said Ganguly.