Team India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul was put in a challenging situation when asked to choose his ideal teammate for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). Rahul was given the options of veteran batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, who have been retained by their respective franchises.
Rahul was released by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, which is scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Super Giants retained Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan for the IPL 2025.
This Is A Real Pickle You Have Put Me In – KL Rahul
During an interview on Star Sports, KL Rahul was asked to choose his ideal IPL 2025 teammate from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni in a segment called ‘KL in a Pickle’. Rahul admitted it was a difficult question to choose just one, adding that he had enjoyed playing with all three.
“Pick an IPL teammate in 2025 – Rohit, Virat or Dhoni?” the host asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a tough one. This is a real pickle you have put me in. I have enjoyed playing with all of them. Very tough to answer,” Rahul replied.
Watch from 17:10 onwards:
Virat Kohli Is All-Time Leading Run-Scorer In IPL History
Virat Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL with 8,004 runs. Rohit Sharma is third with 6,628 runs, while MS Dhoni is sixth with 5,243 runs. Rahul is currently in 11th place with 4,683 runs in 132 matches at an impressive average of 45.47 and strike rate of 134.61, including 4 centuries and 37 fifties.
KL Rahul also captained the Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2024. The team reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 but couldn’t clinch the title. However, they finished seventh in the points table in 2024. The Karnataka-born cricketer will enter the IPL 2025 mega auction with a base price of ₹2 crore.
Would Never Go And Task Someone For It – KL Rahul
KL Rahul emphasized that he would never ask for the captaincy, but he is open to taking on the responsibility after his experience in leading the team over the past few years.
“I would never go and ask someone for it. If you feel that my leadership skills are good enough… and the way I handled my team in the last four to five years… If you find it worthy, then of course I am happy to do it,” Rahul said.
The 32-year-old batter is the leading run-scorer for LSG in the IPL, having accumulated 1,410 runs in 38 matches at an average of 41.47 and a strike rate of 130.67, including two centuries and 10 fifties. Before his stint with LSG in the tournament, Rahul captained Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a couple of years.
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