LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka stormed out of the stadium balcony after Rishabh Pant's disappointing dismissal for just seven runs against SRH. Pant's poor form throughout IPL 2025 continues to raise concerns as LSG fights for a playoff spot.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjeev Goenka was visibly disappointed with skipper Rishabh Pant’s another flow show with the bat in the IPL 2025 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, May 19.
Rishabh Pant has been enduring a poor run of form in the ongoing IPL season. The LSG skipper walked in to bat after Mitchell Marsh’s dismissal at 115/1 and many were expecting to come up with a good performance, as the team is fighting for the final playoff spot, alongside Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. However, Pant had a short stay at the crease as he was dismissed for mere seven runs by Eshan Malinga.
This was another disappointing performance by Rishabh Pant, who has failed to deliver with the bat when it matters most for LSG this season, raising concerns about his form.
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Sanjiv Goenka storms out of stadium balcony
After Rishabh Pant’s dismissal, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka wore a visibly frustrated expression. In a video that went viral on social media, the business magnate can be seen disappointed with his team’s skipper performance and immediately stormed out of the stadium balcony in frustration as the camera panned towards the VIP box as soon as Rishabh Pant’s dismissal.
Sanjiv Goenka’s reaction quickly caught the attention of the fans as the pressure has begun to mount on Lucknow Super Giants for playoff qualification and Pant’s poor performance might have triggered his upset.
Sanjiv Goenka’s disappointment is justifiable as the LSG franchise acquired the services of Rishabh Pant for a whopping INR 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the history of Indian Premier League. Pant joined LSG after spending nine seasons with Delhi Capitals, his home franchise.
In the ongoing IPL season, Pant has failed to justify his price tag as he has scored just 135 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 12.27 in 12 matches.
Lucknow Super Giants to defend 206 to keep playoff hopes alive
Despite flow show by Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant, the hosts managed to post a formidable total of 205/7 in 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Mitchell Marsh led the batting with brilliant innings of 65 off 39 balls and formed an opening 115-run stand with Aiden Markram, who played a knock of 61 off 38 balls.
Apart from Marsh and Markram, Nicholas Pooran too contributed significantly to LSG’s batting with a knock of 45 off 26 balls to ensure the side posted a defendable total on the board. Except Marsh, Markram, and Pooran, other batters, including Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, and David Miller failed to make a meaningful impact, further highlighting LSG's overreliance on their top order.
The match against Sunrisers Hyderabad is crucial for Lucknow Super Giants as they need to win in order to keep their playoffs. The Rishabh Pant-led side is currently in a situation where they win the remaining league stage fixtures in order to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the playoffs. LSG are currently at seventh spot with five wins and six losses while accumulating 10 points. In the last five outings, LSG won only one match and are currently on a three-match losing streak.
