IPL 2025: KL Rahul Treatment for Rishabh Pant? LSG owner seen in ' Public Chat' after Defeat

Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka's public confrontations with his captains have once again become a major talking point in the IPL.

Following LSG's narrow one-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2025 opener, Goenka was seen in a tense discussion with newly appointed captain Rishabh Pant. The incident brought back memories of a similar episode with KL Rahul in the previous season.

LSG owner seen in Public Chat after Defeat

Rishabh Pant gets a Schooling!

In a thrilling contest, DC's Ashutosh Sharma delivered a stunning knock, guiding his team to a nail-biting win. However, post-match, all eyes were on Goenka, who was caught on camera engaging in an animated conversation with Pant on the sidelines. The exchange has once again raised questions about the owner's intense involvement and its impact on team morale.

LSG had splurged a staggering Rs 27 crore to acquire Pant in the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the highest-paid cricketer of the season. Goenka had pinned high hopes on the southpaw, believing his aggressive mindset and leadership qualities could transform LSG's fortunes. The franchise had envisioned a new era under Pant, but the opening game didn't go as planned, leading to an early test of the owner-captain equation.

KL Rahul-Goenka Flashback

This isn't the first time Goenka's post-match behaviour has sparked controversy. During IPL 2024, after a humiliating ten-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he was seen publicly schooling then-captain KL Rahul. Reports suggested Goenka was furious over the team's conservative batting approach, as LSG had managed only 165 runs on a belter of a pitch, which SRH chased down in under 10 overs.

That confrontation fueled speculation about Rahul's future with LSG, with murmurs that he might step down as captain or even be released ahead of the next season. It ended up that way as Rahul joined Delhi Capitals for this season. The former LSG captain couldn't play against his old team for the birth of his child.