According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the Karnataka star batter may be headed back to his hometown franchise if LSG release him during the retention window. Rahul's time at LSG may have ended after he was publicly schooled by team owner Sanjeev Goenka. A video clip that showed LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka having what looked like a heated argument with Rahul on the field after the team's defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad had gone viral, leading to the businessman facing a lot of criticism. Now reports have emerged that the Lucknow-based franchise may part ways with Rahul as they look to name a new captain for the next season and beyond. Rahul was roped in by LSG for Rs 17 Crore via the draft ahead of IPL 2022 Mega Auction. The reports of a rift aside, Rahul has also gone down the pecking order in the national team plans for T20I. The opening batter, who can also bat in the middle order, was ignored for the T20 World Cup and also the following the two series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. However, the Bengaluru-based side still wants to sign the Karnataka player, who has been selected for the ODI series in Sri Lanka as a wicketkeeper in the squad alongside Rishabh Pant. His strike-rate in the shortest format has also triggered debate among experts and fans. But his versatility as a player is a big reason for teams to splash big on Rahul. Here is a look at why RCB want to prioritize Rahul at the mega auction: Three Reasons Why RCB Want KL Rahul as Priority in IPL 2025 Mega Auction 1. Captain: RCB like many teams will need to make a tough call if the number of retentions allowed is kept to four. If the rule is not changed, the RCB is likely to retain only Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Will Jacks and Mohammed Siraj. If that does happen, they won't have space for Faf Du Plessis, who has led the team in the last three seasons since Kohli stepped down from the role. So, bringing in Rahul to address that issue will be a no-brainer for RCB as he also fits the Indian player category. 2. Opener: If RCB decide to part ways with Du Plessis, the opening slot also becomes vacant, leaving only Kohli and probably Jacks as the only two openers. So, Rahul, who has been a consistent run-scorer in IPL in the opening slot, will be a wise choice for RCB. However, they will need to use Jacks as his partner. Kohli and Rahul are a little similar with their approach and pairing them in the powerplay may turnout to be a bad call. So, if RCB plan on pairing either with Jacks, then adding Rahul to the team will be necessary for another important role. 3. Wicketkeeper: After Dinesh Karthik took on the batting coach role with the franchise following his retirement, the wicketkeeping slot becomes vacant. Although they have Anuj Rawat in the squad, the Delhi player is likely to be released ahead of the auction. With the role being very important and Rahul showcasing his abilities with the gloves during last year's ODI World Cup, he is fit enough to take on the role in full time capacity, making him a big target for the Bengaluru-based side at the Mega Auction. The RCB fans also are keen to welcome back their Karnataka star, who has previously played for the side in 19 matches during his stints in 2013 and 2016 season. He has scored 417 runs with the best of an unbeaten 68 for RCB. For this move to materialize, many things have to fall in place, from LSG releasing their most expensive player to RCB failing to retain Du Plessis before the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.