LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka breaks silence on rift rumors with Rishabh Pant, says 'I am a person who naturally...'

Lucknow Super Giants are struggling to improve their results in the ongoing IPL 2026 season with only two wins in the first five games. Amid the team's struggling form, LSG's owner Sanjiv Goenka has faced heat, as he was seen having an animated discussion with skipper Rishabh Pant.

Sanjiv Goenka breaks silence on rumors

Fans compared this clip with the similar incident with former skipper KL Rahul after a loss. Reflecting on the speculations, Goenka has denied the claims making rounds on social media.

Also Read: Good news for Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant is 'perfectly fit' for game against Punjab Kings

In a recent interview with NDTV, Sanjiv Goenka claimed that the rumors of him having a rift with Rishabh Pant are not true at all, blaming social media for fake narratives.

"You know, with Rishab, there has never been a scolding situation, ever. This is social media. Sanjiv Goenka did his hand like this, which gets them views. Right? So to that end, they decided, ‘let’s make Sanjiv Goenka a punching bag’," said Goenka.

Meanwhile, Goenka admitted that heavy IPL coverage has made him cautious regarding his hand gestures.

"Yeah, accepting that [that he has been under scrutiny too much also because of his emotional nature]. I’m now learning that," said Goenka

“You know, I am a person who naturally talks with gestures. So I’m now learning to keep my hands behind, you know. Because you can take an angle out of context. There are so many morphed versions, there are so many AI-generated versions. But that’s it. I mean, what can I do?" added Goenka.

"I can only be myself. And at the end of the day, I’m fairly clear on that," Goenka concluded.

After the conclusion of 2024 season LSG released KL Rahul and acquired Rishabh Pant for a whopping Rs 27.50 crore at the mega auction to become the next captain of the side. But having Pant as a captain has not turned the table for LSG so far.

Rishabh Pant's struggle with LSG continues in IPL 2026

Rishabh Pant is yet to make a mark with bat at Lucknow Super Giants, as he has endured a tough start to the IPL 2026 season, amassing only 105 runs in five innings at an average of 26 and a disappointing strike rate of 122.

So far, the left-handed batter has scored only one half-century in the tournament which came in the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Earlier in the 2025 season, Pant was signed by LSG for a whopping Rs 27 crore in the mega auction. However, he failed to justify his massive price tag by scoring only 269 runs at an average of 24.45 in 13 innings at an average of 24.45 with a slow strike rate of 133.16.

However, Pant managed to score one century in a game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he hit an unbeaten 118 runs.