Punjab Kings have expressed disappointment over their skipper KL Rahul’s decision to leave the team despite the full support of the owners and the management. Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia said that it would be unethical if a new franchise decided to get in touch with Rahul or any other player before the end of the retentiond deadline set by the BCCI.
It may be recalled that PBKS had appointed Rahul as the team’s captain in 2020, and though the opener performed superbly with the bat, the PBKS did not reach the play-offs stage of IPL 2021.
According to reports, Rahul is set to sign a contract with Lucknow-based franchise, which is going to compete in IPL 2022 for the first time.
“We wanted to keep Rahul; however, he was keen to be a part of the auction. If a different franchise approached him before this, it’s illegal,” Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia said. Referring to reports about Lucknow approaching Rahul to ink a deal, Wadia said: “I hope not because that is against the guidelines set by the BCCI.”
It may be recalled that in 2010 Ravindra Jadeja was suspended from the IPL for a year after he was caught trying to finalise a deal with a new team at a time when he was associated with Rajasthan Royals.
