KL Rahul's Blunt Take On IPL Owners: "Feels Like You're Being Interrogated"

KL Rahul recently opened up about the pressure players face while captaining a side in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He stated that the stress in the IPL is actually greater than what a player feels in international cricket. The 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had a controversial stint with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which included an on-field heated argument with owner Sanjiv Goenka in 2024 after a heavy defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Interestingly, Rahul parted ways with LSG after the 2024 season. 

Speaking to Jatin Sapru for Humans of Bombay, Rahul revealed that captains in the IPL are constantly under immense pressure, often questioned by people with little understanding of the sport.

"What I found hard as a captain in the IPL was the number of meetings and reviews required, and having to explain decisions at the ownership level. I realised that by the end of the IPL, I was more mentally and physically drained than after playing 10 months of international cricket," Rahul said.

"Coaches and captains are constantly asked a lot of questions. After a point, it feels like you're being interrogated-'Why did you make this change? Why did he play in the XI? Why did the opposition score 200 while we couldn't even get 120? Why are their bowlers getting more spin?'" he added.

Rahul further explained that such scrutiny doesn't exist in international cricket because coaches and selectors understand the nuances of the game.

"These are questions we never get asked throughout the year because the coaches know what's going on. You're only answerable to coaches and selectors, who have all played cricket and understand the game," he said.

"No matter what you do, no matter how many boxes you tick, nothing in sport guarantees victory. That's hard to explain to people from a non-sporting background," he added.

After captaining LSG for three seasons, Rahul parted ways with the franchise and was bought by Delhi Capitals in the 2025 mega auction for Rs 14 crore. However, he did not take up captaincy at DC, which was led by all-rounder Axar Patel. Following a brilliant season, Rahul was retained by DC ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

Topics mentioned in this article

Delhi Capitals Lucknow Super Giants KL Rahul IPL 2026 Cricket