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Easily the most consistent IPL batsman with a truckload of runs under his belt, KL Rahul visited the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple two days before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The 31-year-old took his parents along with him to seek blessings from Baba Mahakal.
Rahul, who plays for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has not had the greatest of times lately. He was sidelined for the majority of the five-match Test series between India and England due to injury concerns. However, he seems to be fine at this point and is expected to captain LSG in their very first match, against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday afternoon.
KL Rahul at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain to seek blessings of Mahadev. ⭐pic.twitter.com/AVFxhkuRsP
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 20, 2024
Notably, when Virat Kohli was having a torrid time, he visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple as well, along with his wife Anushka Sharma.
Rahul has a pretty decent squad to lead, with Nicholas Pooran working as his deputy. They have Marcus Stoinis, Quinton de Kock, Naveen-ul-Haq, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, and Ravi Bishnoi, among many others, and don’t be surprised to see them in the playoffs in the coming edition, which will get underway on March 22. The defending champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), led by MS Dhoni, will take on Virat Kohli-starred Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium to kick off the proceedings.
Only time will tell whether the blessings from Mahakaleshwar Temple will change the fortunes of Rahul, who was injured in the middle of the last season and could not participate in the remainder of the competition.
Rahul made his debut in the IPL in 2013, and has represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) before joining the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Over the years, he has made a name for himself, having aggregated 4163 runs in 118 matches at an average of 46.78 and a strike rate of 134.42.
In IPL 2022, when LSG debuted in the competition, Rahul made his mark immediately after getting drafted for a whopping price of INR 17 crore. He made 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38, which included two centuries. However, he had a rare bad season last time around, in which he could only muster 274 runs across nine matches before an unfortunate injury ruled him out of the competition.
In total, Rahul has tallied 4163 runs in 118 outings in the IPL, with an average reading of 46.78. He has notched up four centuries thus far, while he has his best season in IPL 2020. Back then, Rahul was leading the Punjab Kings and making 670 runs at an average of 55.83. The average increased to 62.60 in the following season, but Rahul played a game less, which did not allow him to go beyond his personal best aggregate in a single edition.
Meanwhile, most of the LSG players have joined the training camp at Ekana under the leadership of Justin Langer, the legendary Australian opener who will work as their new coach in the new season. The Sanjiv Goenka-owned franchise has parted ways with former head coach Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir, who has re-joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the 17th edition of the tournament. Flower, on the other hand, have joined RCB as their head coach.
