Rishabh Pant to be treated like KL Rahul at LSG? Sanjiv Goenka himself responds

The IPL 2025 mega auction was the perfect stage for drama, excitement, and a dash of humor, as fans flooded social media with hilarious memes following the unexpected franchise switch of Indian wicketkeeper-batters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.

The dramatic yet unexpected franchise switches led to hilarious memes on social media. Rishabh Pant, who captained the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, made headlines by becoming the most expensive player in IPL history after the Lucknow Super Giants shelled out a jaw-dropping INR 27 crore for the dynamic left-hander.

Rishabh Pant becomes IPL’s costliest player after joining Lucknow Super Giants

With this bid, Pant shattered the previous record set by Shreyas Iyer at INR 26.75 crore when Punjab Kings secured him at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Rishabh Pant's move to Lucknow Super Giants not only marked a new milestone in IPL auctions but also sparked endless funny jokes regarding the treatment KL Rahul received during his stint with the franchise in the IPL.

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KL Rahul was the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants since their debut in 2022 and found a new home at the Delhi Capitals, who snapped him up for INR 14 crore. Following the swap, hilarious memes flooded in, including a viral meme showing KL Rahul advising Rishabh Pant about the LSG owner, Sanji Goenka.

Harsh Goenka reacts to viral meme featuring KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant

A user on X (formerly known as Twitter) captioned an image of the two players, "Dekh Bhai, company achi hai, pay acha hai, par boss bohot toxic hai." ("Look, the company is good, the pay is good, but the boss is very toxic.")

Dekh Bhai, company achi hai, pay acha hai, par boss bohot toxic hai pic.twitter.com/qgVvoi71Fm

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) November 24, 2024

This meme instantly became a hit across the social media platforms. Even Harsh Goenka, the elder brother of Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka, playfully reacted to a viral meme. Harsh Goenka replied to the post with a "thinking emoji.

🤔

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) November 24, 2024

Now, Sanjiv Goenka himself reacted to the viral meme that called him a toxic boss. The meme took a jab at Goenka, recalling the moment he was caught on camera having an intense discussion with KL Rahul after LSG’s 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024.

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka gives perfect reply to viral meme post-IPL 2025 mega auction

The incident had fueled speculation about a strained relationship between KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka. Ultimately, the Lucknow team chose not to retain their captain ahead of the 2025 season and opted not to use their RTM card for him at the mega auction.

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Actually, a Times Now edition asked, “Look, bro, the company is great, the pay is good too, but the boss is really tough.” So, just how tough is this boss? To which, Sanjiv Goenka replied, “Well, I haven’t seen the meme, but I can say this much: the boss is loving, caring, and yes, tough too. When love is needed, he gives love; when care is needed, he shows care. And when a bit of scolding is required, he doesn’t shy away from that either.”

Sanjiv Goenka on Meme 😂😂❤️
"Pay acha hai but Tough boss hai"

🎥 - Times Now#CricketTwitter #IPL #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/Ez8blnT5LQ

— Riseup Pant (@riseup_pant17) November 26, 2024

Earlier, Goenka said on signing Rishabh Pant at the auction: “Yes. Had it not been a good buy, we wouldn't have bought him for Rs 27 crore just to satisfy our ego. We had separately kept Rs 25-27 crore reserved for him. He was fulfilling our requirements, and we had planned to go all out for him.”