‘Keep Pant Even for ₹32 Crore’: PBKS Fan’s Hilarious Appeal to LSG Owner Goenka Goes Viral (WATCH)

During an LSG vs PBKS IPL match, a Punjab Kings fan sarcastically thanked LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka for signing Rishabh Pant. The fan's viral comment referenced Pant's previous reluctance to join PBKS and his team's subsequent struggles, which came after PBKS defeated LSG.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka found himself at the centre of the hilarious moment after a Punjab Kings (PBKS) fan made a sarcastic appeal regarding Rishabh Pant during the IPL 2026 clash between the two teams at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Mullanpur on Sunday, April 19.

Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a 54-run victory over the Rishabh Pant-led LSG. After posting a solid total of 254/7, thanks to fine fifties by Priyansh Arya (93) and Cooper Connolly (87), Punjab Kings defended it by restricting the Lucknow Super Giants to 200/5 in 20 overs, despite three dropped catches, including a brain-fade moment by Shashank Singh.

Mitchell Marsh (40), skipper Rishabh Pant (43), Aiden Markram (42), and Ayush Badoni (35) contributed with the bat, but their efforts weren’t enough as LSG fell well short of the daunting target.

‘Goenka Sahab, Thank You For Taking Pant’

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, as usual, was in attendance, watching the match unfold from the corporate box of the Mullanpur stadium, when a PBKS fan grabbed the spotlight with a hilarious and sarcastic message directed at him.

In a video that went viral on social media, Goenka was seen waving to the fans and spectators from the corporate box when a Punjab Kings supporter, who was among the crowd near the stands, hilariously thanked him for taking Rishabh Pant and sarcastically expressed relief that the wicketkeeper-batter did not end up captaining Punjab Kings.

“Goenka sahab, thank you for taking Pant - paaji, many, many thanks! Thank God he didn’t end up captaining our Punjab team,” a PBKS fan said.

“Paaji, even if you have to pay 32 crores, please don’t let Pant go, keep him with you!” he added.

At the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings, alongside Delhi Capitals, were involved in an intense bidding war before the Lucknow franchise acquired the services of Rishabh Pant for INR 27 crore, with the final bid being confirmed following the RTM decision window.

Pant entered the auction at a base price of INR 2 crore after he was released by Delhi Capitals nd quickly became one of the most sought-after players, triggering a fierce bidding war among multiple franchises before eventually being snapped up by Lucknow Super Giants.

Why Did PBKS Fan Take a Dig at Rishabh Pant?

Though Lucknow Super Giants eventually won the bid to acquire Rishabh Pant at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction in 2024, Punjab Kings (PBKS) supporters take a dig at him, especially after their team’s dominant performance against LSG in this clash

After the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, Rishabh Pant remarked during the interview, alongside LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, that his ‘only tension’ during the auction was the possibility of being picked by Punjab Kings, given they had the biggest purse, a remark that later resurfaced after the match and was used by PBKS supporters to take a dig at him following LSG’s heavy defeat.

Under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant, Lucknow Super Giants failed to qualify for the playoffs in the last IPL season as they finished seventh on the points table with six wins and eight losses. In the IPL 2026, LSG are currently sitting at the 9th spot with two wins and four losses and have a net run rate (NRR) of -1.173 after six matches.

On the contrary, Punjab Kings, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, reached the IPL final for the first time since 2024, but lost to first-time champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They were table toppers in the league stage with nine wins, 3 losses, and one no result, accumulating 19 points.