Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), was spotted chatting up with his captain, Rishabh Pant and the team’s support staff after LSG registered
a loss in their opening match of the league’s 2026 edition at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. Facing Delhi Capitals (DC) in their maiden outing, Lucknow were bundled out for 141, with top scores coming from Abdul Samad (36) and Mitchell Marsh (35).
Pacers Lungi Ngidi and T. Natarajan picked three wickets apiece to restrict any free flow of runs. DC almost made a meal of the run chase as they witnessed the fall of their top four batters inside 5 overs while the scorecard read a worrying 26 for 4. Thankfully for DC, they overcame the early blows and sealed a six-wicket win over LSG after Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70* off 47 (5 fours, 4 maximums) helped them reach the target with 17 deliveries to spare.
After their loss to DC, Goenka was seen having a word with his support staff and captain Pant, a moment that reminded IPL fans of the LSG owner’s animated chat with former Lucknow skipper KL Rahul.
Sanjiv Goenka’s Viral Photo With LSG Staff And Rishabh Pant
While one might assume that Goenka’s candid chat with his team’s leadership and staff focused on addressing areas of concern and immediate improvements needed after the loss, many bystanders on the Internet wondered if the team was receiving a dressing-down after letting the match slip from a dominant position.
Sanjiv Goenka having a chat with the team support staff after the loss. pic.twitter.com/qUCi913h57
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 1, 2026
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“Earlier KL Rahul, Now Rishabh Pant”
The screengrabs and videos from the animated chat did not help Goenka’s cause.
“Winning and losing are part of the game, but public humiliation shouldn’t be. If Sanjiv Goenka has concerns, they belong in the dressing room, not on a global broadcast. Lecturing a captain like KL Rahul & Rishabh Pant in front of cameras feels less like ‘passion’ and more like a ‘boss’ trying to show who’s in charge. Respect the players who give their all (sic),” an IPL fan remarked on X.
Sanjiv Goenka and team have an animated chat with Pant after the match
by
u/QuickLaw5338 in
IndiaCricket
Goenka didn’t escape memes either.
Bro wanted to cry but KL Rahul's duck saved his tears. pic.twitter.com/BFbndaUDVG
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) April 1, 2026
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“Someone hand over the ball or bat to Mr. Sanjiv for the next match,” quipped a Redditor.
Sanjeev Goenka cooking the LSG coaching staff. He is not gonna spare them this season.😭😭 pic.twitter.com/66ExCdQ0os
— Gems of Cricket (@GemsOfCrickets) April 1, 2026
“I have seen this one before…” wrote another.
That KL Rahul Incident
No mention of Goenka is ever made without KL Rahul. That’s just the reality of it. Rahul captained Lucknow Super Giants for three seasons and led the side from the front in IPL 2024, where he also finished as the leading run scorer for the team. But it was perhaps the wicketkeeper-batter’s infamous interaction with the LSG owner Goenka that rubbed fans the wrong way.
The infamous match between Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. LSG won the toss and decided to bat first. 165/4 was put up on the scoreboard by them. Rahul, who opened the innings, scored 29 in 33 deliveries. Then the chase began.
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Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, the SRH batters, were in no mood to play out 20 overs. The duo went berserk. LSG bowlers had no clue how to stop the onslaught. Rahul watched on. Sharma (75* off 28) and Head (89* off 30) wrapped up the match in under 10 overs. SRH won the match with as many as 62 spare deliveries. All 10 wickets were intact.
LSG Ignores KL Rahul
That Goenka had thrashed Rahul in public after the loss wasn’t the end of the saga. Nope.
Rahul’s 3-year stint in the LSG camp reached a bitter conclusion. The wicketkeeper-batter was not retained by the franchise. He was subsequently bought by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Later, the cricketer revealed that Goenka’s heated chat had repercussions on the entire team and not just him.
“Whatever happened on the field after the game wasn’t the nicest thing to be part of or something that anyone wants to see on the cricket field. I think it did affect the entire group,” Rahul told in an interview to Star Sports.
