IPL 2025: Sanjiv Goenka confronts Rishabh Pant after Punjab defeat, recreates KL Rahul scene

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka has once again grabbed attention for his animated on-field interactions with team captains. Following LSG’s eight-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Ekana Stadium, Goenka was seen having a lengthy and intense conversation with skipper Rishabh Pant. The incident reminded many of a similar exchange Goenka had with then-captain KL Rahul.

The side has had a shaky start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign, securing just one win in three matches. Despite having a strong, star-studded lineup, Pant’s form and inexperienced bowling attack have been a major reason for their loss. The franchise invested INR 27 crore in the wicketkeeper-batter, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. However, Pant has struggled to justify his price tag, managing only 17 runs in three innings.

Check the post below:

Kunal Yadav@Kunal_KLR

Scene created between Goenka & Pant. 🧐 #PBKSvsLSG

10:56 PM · Apr 01, 2025

2.8K137

Meanwhile, PBKS continued their dominant run, registering back-to-back wins to hold on to the second spot on the points table. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer, who was also acquired for a hefty amount of INR 26.75 crore, has so far justified his price tag with 149 runs in two innings.

After the defeat, Goenka first met Iyer with a warm hug and had a long conversation. This meeting got mixed reactions from fans, with many joking that Goenka might be trying to tempt Iyer to LSG. However, the LSG owner confronted Pant, with cameras capturing moments where Goenka pointed his finger at the struggling captain.

This is not the first time Goenka has questioned his team’s captain in public. In the past, he had a similar confrontation with Rahul, which many believe contributed to the latter’s decision to part ways with the franchise. Meanwhile, Pant’s struggles with the bat and his questionable captaincy decisions have already put him under pressure. With LSG's bowling attack also weakened due to injuries to players like Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep, and Shamar Joseph, the pressure is increasing on Pant to turn things around quickly.