"Yeah, accepting that...": LSG boss Sanjiv Goenka speaks out on 'rift' with Rishabh Pant

Stories are circulating on social media platforms claiming the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner, Sanjiv Goenka, and captain Rishabh Pant are not on the same page in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. A couple of years ago, the same speculation sparked involving Goenka and KL Rahul. Most of the claims on the internet are speculation and rumor, but what is the truth?

Ahead of LSG’s upcoming fixture against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday (April 19) evening, the Super Giants owner, Sanjiv Goenka, himself cleared the air regarding his relationship with the players.

LSG boss Sanjiv Goenka cleared the air claims, suggesting a possible rift with Rishabh Pant

At NDTV’s ‘Walk The Talk’ show, the LSG boss spoke out on multiple issues, including the relationship with the players, especially with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. He called most of the claims on the social media platforms false and fabricated.

“You know, with Rishabh, there has never been a scolding situation, ever. This is social media. Sanjiv Goenka did his hand like this, which gets them views. Right? So to that end, they decided, ‘let’s make Sanjiv Goenka a punching bag,” he said on the show.

The cameras caught a moment. But what really happened?

Dr. Sanjiv Goenka responds to the KL Rahul-Rishabh Pant row.

Walk the Talk with Rahul Kanwal.#WalkTheTalk #SanjivGoenka #NDTV @rahulkanwal pic.twitter.com/3AoCWMxdsW

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 18, 2026

Gokenka further stated that his way of talking or expressing emotions often looks too animated on camera, which might look like something wrong happened on the field. So, he has been learning how to stay calm and less animated in front of the camera.

Sanjiv Goenka accepted his nature of talking

“Yeah, accepting that [that he has been under scrutiny too much also because of his emotional nature]. I'm now learning that,” Sanjiv Goenka said.

“You know, I am a person who naturally talks with gestures. So I'm now learning to keep my hands behind, you know. Because you can take an angle out of context. There are so many morphed versions, there are so many AI-generated versions. But that's it. I mean, what can I do?” he further added.

Some also have strong beliefs that Sanji Goenka makes interference in cricketing matters. The 65-year-old dismissed those claims straightaway, calling it foolish to think a non-cricket personality would dare to interfere in the tactical moves. For the cricket-related decisions, LSG has a set of professionals.

“You know, I mean, for a person who's never really played cricket, it would be foolish to tell my cricketers how to play, right? I have a team of experts, and it's a big team that does that [addressing cricketing issues],” Sanji Goenka stated.

LSG at the 8th spot of the IPL 2026 points table

As of now, the Lucknow Super Giants are not in a promising position in the IPL 2026 points table. Ahead of their match against the Punjab Kings, the Rishabh Pant-led team is ranked 8^th in the 10-team league with only 4 points. They claimed only a couple of wins in 5 matches and three defeats, and have a negative run rate of -0.804. The star-studded top order of the team has been struggling to perform so far, according to their stature.

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