'KL Rahul was listening everything because...': Fresh revelation out on Sanjiv Goenka-LSG captain episode

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowling all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham has come up with a new revelation on the infamous Sanjiv Goenka-KL Rahul episode, which happened during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Lucknow Super Giants faced a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of the Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 8 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad.

After the match, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka entered the field and was seen bashing Rahul brutally in front of everyone. He was caught on camera having a heated chat with Rahul and head coach Justin Langer. This act by the team owner didn't go well with fans, who slammed him for his behavior towards the team captain.

Following the incident, several cricketers, LSG stars, and coaches spoke about it, and some reports even claimed that the franchise was unhappy with the captaincy of Rahul and he would be sacked before the start of the next season.

The latest remarks on the infamous episode have come from none other than Krishnappa Gowtham, who played that match against SRH and had the lowest economy (14.50) among LSG bowlers.

In a chat with CricTracker, Gowtham stated that Goenka was extremely disappointed with the way LSG lost the match and he bashed KL Rahul, who kept his calm and listened to everything before explaining things to the team owner.

“He [franchise owner Sanjeev Goenka] was a little disappointed with the way [we] lost the game. Any human will have emotions and will go through that rollercoaster. KL being KL, he kept his calm. He heard him out. He didn’t take either of the side. He didn’t take the owner’s side or the players’ side. He kept his calm and was listening to everything because he had to analyse it before explaining it [to Goenka on what went wrong],” Gowtham said.

It was a little animated but... - Krishnappa Gowtham on Sanjiv Goenka-KL Rahul IPL episode

Gowtham further admitted that Sanjiv Goenka was animated but justified his actions, saying that he had invested a lot of time and effort in the team; hence, the angry reaction came out.

"It was a little animated but I think a person who has invested a lot of time and effort in the team and to see the way we lost that game. I think it shows the kind of passion he has for the team and the values he has for the team. He wants us to win everything and he wants us to enjoy that. [The loss] disappointed him and that’s why he reacted the way he reacted,” Gowtham added.

Meanwhile, Sanjiv Goenka recently addressed a press conference where Zaheer Khan was appointed as the new mentor of the team, replacing Gautam Gambhir, who had left the team after Indian Premier League 2023.

During the interaction with reporters, Sanjiv Goenka was also asked about KL Rahul's future with the franchise. Sanjiv Goenka remained tight-lipped on the batter's future with the team but labeled him a crucial part of the Super Giants family.