Duleep Trophy 2024: Fans Chant 'RCB Captain' For KL Rahul Ahead Of IPL 2025 Auction At Chinnaswamy Stadium, Video Goes Viral - WATCH

KL Rahul's future in the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains uncertain as the 2025 auction approaches. With speculation surrounding his next move, fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) seem to have embraced the possibility of Rahul returning to the franchise as their captain. Despite Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka publicly stating that Rahul is like "family" to him during a recent event, many fans believe that a shift to RCB could be on the horizon.

The excitement among RCB supporters was evident during the Duleep Trophy 2024 clash at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where India A faced off against India B. When Rahul came out to bat for India A on Saturday, chants of "RCB Captain" echoed from the stands. The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman played a determined knock of 37 runs off 111 balls. However, he couldn't do much to diminish India B's massive first-innings lead of 321 runs. After Rahul's dismissal, India A found themselves struggling at 169/5, having lost half of their side.

"RCB Captain, KL Rahul" chants going on at Chinnaswamy pic.twitter.com/Ni6Y7yXWn0 — Guru Gulab (@madaddie24) September 7, 2024

Earlier in the game, India A skipper Shubman Gill was dismissed after scoring 25 runs, while Mayank Agarwal contributed 36, and Riyan Parag added 30 before departing. Rahul’s presence at the crease was seen as crucial to India A's hopes of mounting a comeback, but the team was left in trouble when he couldn’t build a substantial partnership.

Playing at RCB’s home ground, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Rahul received a warm reception from the crowd, who fondly remembered his previous stint with RCB from 2013 to 2016. During that period, Rahul was part of the Red and Gold before moving to Kings XI Punjab and eventually becoming the captain of Lucknow Super Giants in 2022. Since then, Rahul has been consistently linked with a return to RCB, especially as the team is reportedly eyeing an Indian captain for the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.

Despite Sanjiv Goenka’s reassuring comments about Rahul's place in the LSG family, the 32-year-old may consider entering the auction pool. During LSG’s jersey launch event in Kolkata earlier this month, Goenka was questioned about Rahul’s future, to which he reaffirmed his commitment to the player. The event also saw the introduction of Zaheer Khan as the franchise’s mentor. As the IPL 2025 auction looms, it remains to be seen whether LSG can retain their captain or if Rahul decides to explore new opportunities, including a potential return to RCB.