“Wanted to retain Rahul”: Anil Kumble reveals KL Rahul’s decision to go into IPL 2022 auction

Anil Kumble reveals KL Rahul’s decision: The head coach of Punjab Kings admitted that they wanted to retain former captain for IPL 2022.

Punjab Kings are the only team to retain only a couple of players ahead of a mega auction for the 15th season of the Indian Premier League. Yet to lift a title despite playing in the tournament since the inaugural season in 2008, Kings will have a whopping INR 72 crore during the IPL 2022 auction.

The two players that PBKS have retained are batter Mayank Agarwal (INR 12 crore) and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh (INR 4 crore). For retaining only two players, a franchise had to pay INR 14 crore and INR 10 crore. The reason why only INR 4 crore have been deducted for Arshdeep is because of him being an uncapped player.

Agarwal has been Punjab’s second-highest run-scorer in the last two seasons amassing 865 runs in 23 innings at an average and strike rate of 39.32 and 147.86 respectively including one century and six half-centuries.

Arshdeep, on the other hand, has been PBKS’ second-best bowler in the last three seasons picking 30 wickets at an average of 22.30, an economy rate of 8.78 and a strike rate of 15.23 including a maiden T20 five-wicket haul.

Anil Kumble reveals KL Rahul’s decision to go into IPL 2022 auction

Having spent the last four seasons at Punjab, former captain Lokesh Rahul became their highest-ever run-scorer on the back of his 2,548 runs in 55 matches coming at an average and strike rate of 56.62 and 139.76 respectively including two centuries and 23 half-centuries. In addition to top-scoring for his team, Rahul has also top-scored in the last four seasons of the IPL.

As reported previously, Rahul himself wanted to enter the mega auction. The same was confirmed by PBKS head coach Anil Kumble. “We wanted to retain [KL] Rahul, but he decided to go into the auction. We respect that, we honour that decision. It’s the player’s prerogative,” Kumble told Star Sports during the IPL 2022 Retention event.

It is worth mentioning that speculations have been rife that Rahul is in talks of joining a new team for a sumptuous price ahead of IPL 2022.