IPL: Sanjiv Goenka seemingly takes Rishabh Pant for chat after shock loss to DC; reminiscence of KL Rahul episode

Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka involved in a conversation with coach Justin Langer and captain Rishabh Pant. (Image: Screenshot/Hotstar)

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Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka met with Rishabh Pant for a discussion following Lucknow Super Giants' defeat to Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2025 opening match. Goenka-owned LSG had acquired Pant for a record sum of Rs 27 crore during the mega auction.LSG had DC struggling at 113 for six while defending 210 runs but couldn't secure the victory. Ashutosh Sharma's outstanding performance of 66 not out from 31 balls guided DC to victory with one wicket and three balls remaining in Visakhapatnam.Pant's debut as LSG captain was underwhelming across all aspects of the game. He scored a duck from six balls, falling to Kuldeep Yadav, in a high-scoring match where five batters achieved strike rates above 200.His leadership decisions were questioned, particularly regarding Shardul Thakur's limited use. Despite taking two wickets in his first over, Thakur only bowled two overs in total.With 22 runs needed from the final two overs, Pant chose inexperienced Prince Yadav over Shardul. Prince conceded 16 runs, including two fours and a six.In the last over, with just a run per ball required, Pant opted for left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed instead of the experienced Shardul, who has previously secured victories for India in similar situations.A crucial stumping opportunity was missed by Pant in the final over. Though Shahbaz beat Mohit Sharma with an excellent delivery, Pant failed to collect the ball after it deflected off Mohit's back pad."Definitely luck plays a part in this game and if it could have missed his (Mohit Sharma's) pads, it was a chance for stumping. But these things happen in the game of cricket, you can't focus on these things, but rather you need to play better cricket," Pant stated during the post-match presentation.Following the match, Goenka seemingly had a conversation with Pant and coach Justin Langer. While less intense than his previous discussion with former captain KL Rahul in IPL 2024, it served as a subtle reminder for Pant to improve his performance.Delhi's chase began poorly at 7-3 in the second over. The situation worsened when they lost five wickets for 65 runs, including Faf du Plessis who scored 29 in his first match for the team.DC captain Axar Patel contributed 22 runs quickly, while Tristan Stubbs added 34 to the chase.

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