Sanjiv Goenka Makes 1st Public Comment On Rishabh Pant After LSG Sacking In IPL

Sanjiv Goenka commented on Rishabh Pant [Source - AFP]Lucknow Super Giants are firing on all cylinders to get ready for IPL 2027 after two poor seasons in the IPL. They finished at the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table, and Sanjiv Goenka is leaving no stone unturned to revive LSG’s fortunes.Overall, it has been a dramatic year or two for LSG, with the franchise also sacking captain Rishabh Pant before trading him to Delhi Capitals. Now, Sanjiv Goenka has opened up publicly on Pant for the first time since his LSG sacking.Sanjiv Goenka admits being fond of Rishabh PantLSG sacked Rishabh Pant as captain after IPL 2026, with the India star subsequently leaving the franchise in a trade deal with Delhi Capitals. Since then, there has been significant interest in Goenka’s first public comments on Pant after his sacking. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Goenka made his first public comment on Rishabh Pant after his LSG captaincy sacking and revealed just how fond he is of the Indian star.“I’m very fond of him [Rishabh Pant]. He has an innocence about him. He is almost childlike. He can come and hold you from behind with love, just like a child would. He can also come from anywhere and prank you. That’s the kind of person he is,” Goenka said. Also Read: Rishabh Pant Faces Stiff Competition In India's 2027 WC SquadGoenka’s comments offered a warm glimpse into his personal equation with Pant, highlighting the batter’s innocent, playful and childlike personality. Notably, despite the franchise’s decision to sack Pant as captain, Goenka did not publicly attack after LSG sacking.How did LSG struggle in IPL under Rishabh Pant's captaincy?Rishabh Pant’s appointment as LSG captain was a huge project and one that carried the personal backing of Sanjiv Goenka himself. Goenka made a record bid of 27 crore INR to sign Pant and made him captain, but the results over two seasons were very poor. Under Pant, LSG played 28 matches across two IPL seasons, managing just 10 wins at a win percentage of 35.71. They suffered 18 defeats, including the tied clash against KKR that they eventually lost in the Super Over in IPL 2026, while failing to qualify for the playoffs in either season.Pant’s returns with the bat were even more underwhelming. Across those two seasons for LSG, Pant scored 581 runs at an average of 26.40 and a strike-rate of 135.74. More often than not, his innings failed to provide the impact LSG needed.Sanjiv Goenka Didn’t Blame Rishabh Pant For LSG’s FailureWhile speaking about Rishabh Pant for the first time since sacking him as LSG captain, Sanjiv Goenka did not put the franchise’s struggles on the former skipper. Instead, he reflected on how LSG failed to perform collectively, with the bowlers struggling when the batters found form and the batting unit failing to back the bowlers when they delivered.Goenka now appears fully committed to putting LSG back on track ahead of IPL 2027, with the franchise already making major changes to its setup. The decision to sack Pant as captain was one of the biggest calls, and Goenka will hope the move helps LSG turn the page and return to winning ways.Also Read: Sanjiv Goenka Regrets Missing Out On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In IPL Auction