Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka has spoken warmly about his final exchange with Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter’s departure from the franchise after IPL 2026. Goenka confirmed that the two remained in contact even after their professional arrangement concluded and have plans to meet for dinner.
Pant had been signed by LSG for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at that point. Across two seasons with the franchise, he accumulated 581 runs in 28 matches, scoring 269 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2025 and 312 runs in 14 matches during IPL 2026.
Despite those individual contributions, LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025 and last in IPL 2026, missing the playoffs on both occasions. Pant stepped down as LSG captain on May 29, 2026, after requesting relief from the role, and the two parties mutually agreed to part ways once IPL 2026 concluded.
“I said good luck and best wishes, but our last conversation wasn’t only till the contract. We even spoke after that. We have planned to have dinner together sometime. I’m very fond of Rishabh. He has innocence. We will jump out of anywhere and grab you. He will play a prank or something,” Goenka said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
What did Goenka say about the value of signing Pant at ₹27 crore?
Goenka addressed whether the INR 27 crore investment in Pant was justified, drawing a comparison with LSG’s earlier signing of Ben Stokes for INR 15 crore.
“It’s all very subjective and situation-based. When we paid INR 15 crore for Ben Stokes, it was considered expensive. Was it worth it or not? If you succeed, it pays off. If not, it doesn’t. Rishabh Pant obviously packs a punch. I have always shared a good relationship with Rishabh. People said a lot of things,” Goenka added.
Rumours of tension between Goenka and Pant had circulated on social media during the two seasons, drawing comparisons to the earlier KL Rahul incident involving the same franchise. Goenka’s remarks on the podcast appeared to address those narratives directly, reaffirming that the personal relationship between the two remained intact. LSG won only four of their 14 league matches in IPL 2026, finishing at the bottom of the points table, which framed much of the scrutiny around the franchise’s high-profile signings during that period.
Where does Pant go after leaving LSG?
Pant was traded to Delhi Capitals in June 2026, with Kuldeep Yadav moving to LSG as part of the exchange. The move saw Pant return to his home franchise, where he accepted a reduced fee of INR 15 crore, a significant step down from the INR 27 crore LSG had paid at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Goenka described Pant as having a childlike quality and genuine warmth, saying he was very fond of the cricketer despite the team’s results across their two seasons together. His comments on the podcast made clear that the affection between the two extended well beyond the boundaries of a professional contract.
