Sanjiv Goenka was at the center of social media criticism when results in the Indian Premier League (IPL) did not go Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) way. The LSG owner first grabbed headlines when his animated chat with then captain KL Rahul broke the internet. A similar looking incident happened in the 2026 season, after LSG’s opening loss to Delhi Capitals.
Unlike the owners of other teams in the IPL. Goenka makes sure to meet his players after every match. After LSG’s loss to Delhi Capitals, Goenka was pictured with Pant, head coach Justin Langer and director of cricket Tom Moddy during a ground chat, sparking speculation of a possible rift within the team.
The LSG owner clarified his relationship with Pant and clarified that his interaction was far from what was portrayed. “You know, with Rishabh, there was never any (expletive) situation. This is social media. Things like Sanjiv Goenka raising his hand like that, it gets views, right? So make Sanjiv Goenka a punching bag,” Goenka told NDTV.
“I’m naturally a person who speaks with gestures. So now I’m learning to keep my hands behind my back because you can take everything out of context. There are so many morphed versions, there are so many AI-generated versions. But that’s it. What can I do? I can only be myself. At the end of the day, it’s pretty clear to me that I’m a year old,” added the 65-year-old.
“One incident does not define a person”
The owner of LSG emphasized that in the era of social media, people are often judged based on a single incident. “People need to understand that one incident does not define a person. We make mistakes, we learn and we make sure we don’t repeat them. The dressing room is happy and the environment is positive; these external stories are not the real problems,” he added.
Goenka’s “one incident” was about his animated chat with Rahul after Sunrisers Hyderabad overhauled LSG’s 160+ total in just nine overs as they chased down IPL 2024. Rahul was released by LSG ahead of the 2025 season when the Indian star found a new home with Delhi Capitals.
Does Sanjiv Goenka interfere in team decision making?
The LSG owner’s interactions with Rahul and Pant have faced criticism not only from fans but also from pundits like Michael Vaughan. Even former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said: “As I told you. He is not fit to own @IPL – you can hear it from his own mouth @DrSanjivGoenka – what else does one need to know. Owning a sports team @LucknowIPL is one of the biggest responsibilities globally for an owner. It is not about profit.”
Asked if he was actually interfering in the team’s decision-making, Goenka said it “would be foolish” of him to do so. “I mean, for a person who has never played cricket, it would be silly to tell cricketers how to play. I have a team of experts and it is a big team,” Goenka added.
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