KL Rahul went to Delhi Capitals for INR 14 crore, making him a steal for the franchise in the star team of the IPL 2025 auction.

While RCB, KKR and CSK also bid for Rahul, Delhi Capitals were persistent in their efforts and with Rs 13.75 crore, Chennai Super Kings backed out, leaving DC with Rahul for just Rs 14 crore.

“He is not a 14-crore player,” echoed Robin Uthappa and Eoin Morgan at the Jio Cinema IPL 2025 auction show.

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KL Rahul IPL 2025 auction bidding war

KL Rahul in the IPL

KL Rahul’s IPL career so far has been eventful, to say the least. He debuted in 2013 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) before joining Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 for ₹1 crore. Rahul returned to RCB in 2016, amassing 397 runs in 14 matches, putting his name in the IPL XI of the season.

After missing the 2017 season due to injury, in 2018, Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) secured Rahul for ₹11 crore.

He impressed with 659 runs, including the fastest IPL fifty in just 14 balls. Rahul scored 593 runs in 2019, including his first IPL century. Promoted as captain in 2020, Rahul won the Orange Cap with 670 runs, including a career-best 132* against RCB. He continued to excel in 2021, scoring 626 runs as Punjab’s top scorer.

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Ahead of the 2022 season, Rahul joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for ₹17 crore, becoming one of the highest-paid IPL players. He scored two centuries and led LSG to the playoffs in his debut season, finishing as the team’s top scorer with 616 runs.

However, injuries ruled him out mid-season in 2023. In 2024, Rahul scored 520 runs but faced criticism for LSG’s disappointing campaign and a significant loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. The public dispute with owner Sanjeev Goenka made the front pages of newspapers.

Rahul was released by LSG ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, possibly at his request, ending his tenure with the franchise.