IPL 2024 mega auction: LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka in an exclusive interaction with Sports Tak, answered the million dollar question and revealed whether Rishabh Pant will captain the Lucknow-based franchise in IPL 2025 or not.
Will Rishabh Pant lead LSG in IPL 2025?
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) opened coffers for India's T20 World Cup-winning wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and bought him for a whopping amount of Rs 27 crores in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 24. With this Pant scripted history as he became the most expensive player ever in the history of IPL. After being released by Delhi Capitals, Pant was the hottest property in the auction. A fierce bidding war ensued among several franchises, with Lucknow Super Giants ultimately outbidding Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals to acquire him.
Meanwhile, Sanjiv Goenka during a conversation with Sports Tak revealed how they planned to acquire Rishabh Pant in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Here are the excerpts from Sports Tak's exclusive conversation with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka:
Did you enter IPL 2025 mega auction with an plan to acquire Rishabh Pant or it just happened?
"This was part of our plan, Rishabh was on our list. We had separately kept Rs 25-27 crore reserved for him."
Was it a good buy?
"Yes. Had it not been a good buy, we wouldn't have bought him for Rs 27 crore just to satisfy our ego"
Do you think LSG have an explosive middle-order batting line-up?
"I am not a person who does comparisons but with the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant and David Miller, yes it is a very very good line up"
Who will be the LSG captain in IPL 2025?
"We will announce the captain shortly. One thing I can say is, with strong leaders in Pant, Pooran and Miller in our ranks, we will have a leadership team".
Were you also thinking about Shreyas Iyer or Pant was your main target?
"See, we were clear from the word go. We knew we couldn't have afforded both Shreyas Iyer and Pant. We would have loved to go after both of them, if we could afford them. And talking about Rishabh Pant, he was fulfilling our requirements and we had planned to go all out for him."
Pant, apparently surpassed Shreyas Iyer to become the most expensive buys in IPL auction history. It was Punjab Kings (PBKS) who broke bank on Iyer and roped in him for a staggering Rs 26.75 crore.
LSG IPL 2025 Squad so far:
Nicholas Pooran (Rs. 21 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (Rs. 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (Rs. 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (Rs. 4 crore), Ayush Badoni (Rs. 4 crore), Rishabh Pant (Rs. 27 crore), David Miller (Rs. 7.5 crore), Aiden Markram (Rs. 2 crore), Mitchell Marsh (Rs. 3.40 crore), Avesh Khan (Rs. 9.75 crore), Abdul Samad (Rs. 4.20 crore).
