The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought Rishabh Pant for a huge ₹27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction and also made him the captain. But the season didn’t go as planned. The team finished seventh on the points table and failed to make much impact. Many felt that the pressure of being the most expensive player affected Pant’s performance, but team owner Sanjiv Goenka doesn’t agree with that view.
Pant also had a quiet season with the bat. Even though he scored a century, he managed only 269 runs overall, which led to a lot of criticism. Speaking to Sports Tak, Goenka defended him and pointed out that the team had bigger problems.
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“If a captain is deprived of his four key bowlers, what is he expected to do? We must, therefore, assess the resources he actually had at his disposal. I have complete faith in him. Sometimes, when people speculate about whether Rishabh will be retained or not, I simply look at it and laugh. Perhaps certain social media platforms are merely chasing views; Sanjiv Goenka makes for a convenient punching bag” said Goenka.
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What Sanjiv Goenka Said About Pant’s Captaincy
Talking about Pant as a leader, Goenka said he is happy with the way he handles the team. He mentioned that Pant is clear in his communication and always gives his full effort on the field.
“He is excellent. He is straightforward and direct in his communication. He strives to give 100 per cent to the franchise. Therefore, when a player, regardless of whether he is the captain or not, gives his absolute 100 per cent, you cannot reasonably expect anything more from him.”
Goenka Admits the Team Didn’t Perform Well
Goenka also accepted that the last two seasons have been disappointing for the team. He said there are no excuses for finishing seventh and that the team simply didn’t play well enough.
At the same time, he pointed out that injuries played a big role, especially in the bowling department. Many of their key bowlers were unavailable at the same time, and the team wasn’t fully prepared for that situation. In the end, it affected their overall performance and results.
LSG's IPL 2026 schedule
| Date | Teams | Venue |
| April 1 | LSG vs DC | Lucknow |
| April 5 | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad |
| April 9 | KKR vs LSG | Eden Gardens |
| April 12 | LSG vs GT | Lucknow |
LSG Full Squad For IPL 2026
Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Josh Inglis, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Naman Tiwari, Mitchell Marsh, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni