Team India wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul had a funny thing to say about his Indian Premier League (IPL) career during his appearance on 2 Sluggers YouTube channel. Rahul hinted at joining a new team during the trade window ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, which is likely to take place in December.
The right-handed batsman last played for the India national cricket team during the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia. Rahul recorded scores of 38 and 11 in the first two matches and did not get a chance to bat in the third and final match. India lost the series to Australia 1–2.
Not far from Aaron Finch – KL Rahul
KL Rahul jokingly said that he is not far away from Aaron Finch in terms of the number of teams he has represented. The former Australian captain played for nine teams in the IPL, the most by any player in the history of the tournament.
It broke me
Never expected such witty one-liners from KL pic.twitter.com/sOkvkRZ5BB
– Varun #Globetrotter (@varunklstan) 28 October 2025
Rahul made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013. He joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) the following season and returned to RCB in 2016. This batsman was bought by Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2018 auction for Rs 11 crore. He later played for two more teams in the IPL.
KL Rahul reveals his “worst IPL season ever”
KL Rahul was the first draft pick of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) when the franchise joined the IPL in 2022. The franchise signed him for ₹17 crore and appointed him captain. Rahul led LSG to third place in his debut season.
The Karnataka-born cricketer suffered a serious injury to his right thigh while fielding during the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2023. The injury required surgery and caused him to miss the remainder of the season.
He parted ways with the Lucknow-based franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The opening batsman scored 1,410 runs for LSG at an impressive average of 41.47 and strike rate of 130.68, which included two centuries and ten half-centuries. Rahul admitted that 2023 was his “worst IPL season so far”.
KL Rahul has represented five IPL franchises in his career
KL Rahul, despite being one of the most consistent run-scorers in the league, faced criticism for his strike rate during his stint with Punjab Kings. He was released after the 2021 season.
Ahead of IPL 2025, Rahul was bought by Delhi Capitals (DC) in the mega auction for ₹14 crore. Batting in the middle order, he scored 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72, his best in seven years.
Rahul has represented five franchises, scored more than 500 runs in five consecutive seasons, and is the only player to score centuries for three different teams. He became the fastest player to score 5,000 runs in IPL. The experienced batsman also scored a half-century in 14 balls in the tournament.
Also read: “We’ll wait and see” – Alex Carey hits back at Stuart Broad’s ‘worst Australian team’ comment
