DC vs LSG: Sanjiv Goenka gets thumped down by former CSK legend for manhandling KL Rahul

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a major blow to their quest for the IPL 2024 playoffs after their humiliating 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, May 8.

Opting to bat first, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) managed to post a modest total of 165/4 on the board against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). But then the LSG’s bowling attack brutally failed, as the SRH’s dangerous opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma hammered them cruelly.

The SRH duo wasted no time in their onslaught, with Head (89 runs off 30 balls) reaching his half-century in just 16 balls, and his opening partner Abhishek (75 runs off 28 balls) closely following him by achieving the same feat in just 19 deliveries to chase down the target of 166 runs in just 9.4 overs.

Sanjiv Goenka engaging in a heated exchange with KL Rahul

However, this embarrassing defeat was not enough for the Lucknow camp, as the post-match drama escalated at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium with cameras capturing LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka engaging in a heated exchange with captain KL Rahul after the match.

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However, it is still unknown what was being said between the two during the intense conversation, but the LSG owner, Goenka, looked too angry while talking to the skipper, Rahul. While Mr. Goenka was animated while expressing his emotions, Rahul maintained his composure and calmly heard him out while replying to some of the owner’s suggestions.

As all this happened on Live TV, this unexpected controversy quickly garnered attention and criticism online, with many commentators slamming Goenka for expressing his anger at the skipper Rahul in front of the media and the whole world.

Commentators slam Sanjiv Goenka for his behavior

Speaking on the live controversy, one commentator opined on the Jio Cinema: “You always feel these conversations should be happening behind closed doors. There are so many cameras around the stadium and they miss nothing. You know KL Rahul is now gonna go to press conferences and other things and potentially explain what's been discussed here.”

On the other hand, former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Scott Styris hailed Rahul for his professionalism and his ability to handle the situation with maturity. Styris said: “He has done well to keep his cool here. I think you are bang on.”

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Meanwhile, Rahul said at the post-match press conference: “I am lost for words. We have watched that kind of batting on TV. But this is unreal batting. Everything seemed to find the middle of the bat. Kudos to their skills. They have worked hard on their six-hitting skills (on Head and Abhishek). They didn’t give us a chance to know what the pitch played in the second innings. Was hard to stop them as they teed off from ball one.”

The LSG skipper admitted that teams are often criticized after the loss. Rahul further said that the LSG fell short by 40–50 runs due to early wickets during the powerplay phase. However, Rahul suggested that even a higher total might not have guaranteed victory against the SRH, given the way they are batting at the moment in the ongoing IPL 2024.