Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka came clean on his relationship with Rishabh Pant, saying he has full faith in the abilities of the wicketkeeper-batter. Goenka said there was no chance of Pant leaving the franchise after just one season. Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Pant was bought by LSG for INR 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the tournament's history. However, the 28-year-old failed to perform with the bat, scoring just 269 runs in 14 matches. The team also failed to qualify for the playoffs, leading to intense speculation about Pant's future with the franchise.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, Goenka broke his silence on the chatter about Pant's future, saying it's far from the truth and Pant is going nowhere. He also said that he has become a punching bag on social media. It is worth noting that during the IPL 2024 season, Goenka was seen having an animated chat with the then captain, KL Rahul, on the field, which led to the LSG owner being criticised left, right and centre.
However, Goenka showed full faith in Pant's abilities, saying that last season the franchise was hit by a plethora of injuries, which was the main reason LSG did not reach the playoffs.
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"What will any captain do if he doesn't have four fast bowlers? You have to look at it from what he had. I personally have great confidence in Rishabh Pant. I know you guys (media) keep speculating about whether Rishabh will stay at LSG. I look at all that and only laugh. I think some social media sites need views. Sanjiv Goenka becomes a very happy and convenient punching bag," Goenka told Sports Tak.
{{/usCountry}}"What will any captain do if he doesn't have four fast bowlers? You have to look at it from what he had. I personally have great confidence in Rishabh Pant. I know you guys (media) keep speculating about whether Rishabh will stay at LSG. I look at all that and only laugh. I think some social media sites need views. Sanjiv Goenka becomes a very happy and convenient punching bag," Goenka told Sports Tak.
{{/usCountry}}"100 per cent (aware of social media memes). But I don't spend much time on social media. I understand 5-10 per cent of social media, so I don't know what the reason is. But Sanjiv Goenka is a punching bag. I live with my conscience; I am a very secure person in my own skin. When I make a mistake, I openly admit I made a mistake. Last year, we didn't even have the team to challenge for the trophy. We made a lot of mistakes, we made mistakes in the auction, mistakes while preparing," he added.
Plugged the gaps
Goenka also said that LSG have plugged the gaps this season and hence one can expect a better performance from the franchise in the IPL 2026 season, which gets underway on March 28.
"This year, we have tried to plug those mistakes. We realised what comfort a balanced squad gives," he said.
In the IPL 2026 auction, LSG bought the likes of Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Naman Tiwari. LSG will begin their campaign against the Delhi Capitals on April 1.
LSG squad for IPL 2026: Rishabh Pant (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh.