On and off the field, Lucknow Super Giants seem to be battling familiar narratives. If their six-wicket defeat to the Delhi Capitals at home on Wednesday wasn’t enough, the franchise found itself in fresh controversy after a viral clip from the post-match proceedings involving owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain Rishabh Pant sparked comparisons with last season’s KL Rahul episode.
Lucknow suffered another batting collapse at the Ekana Stadium, managing just 142 on the board. Although the hosts mounted a brief comeback while defending the total, a composed knock from Sameer Rizvi ensured Delhi chased it down with 17 balls to spare.
However, it was what followed after the match that drew more attention.
Goenka was seen in an animated conversation with Pant, with head coach Justin Langer also present. While the viral clips carried no audio, they quickly triggered speculation on social media, with many drawing parallels to the widely criticised interaction between Goenka and KL Rahul during the 2024 season.
That incident had been perceived as a public dressing-down, igniting a broader debate over the role of franchise owners and whether such discussions should remain behind closed doors. Unsurprisingly, the resurfacing of similar visuals involving Pant reignited that conversation.
Amid growing criticism, Lucknow’s official social media handle responded by sharing what it described as an “unfiltered clip” of the interaction.
The caption read: “Not everything you see is the true story, here’s the unfiltered post-match vibes, when cameras don’t cut.”
While the longer video did include audio, the voices of Pant, Langer and Goenka were not clearly audible. However, the visuals told a different story—Pant and Goenka appeared at ease, even sharing a hug shortly after the exchange, suggesting there was no visible tension.
The franchise’s clarification helped ease the narrative, at least to an extent.
Goenka himself refrained from addressing the controversy directly, choosing instead to focus on the bigger picture in a social media post.
He wrote: “This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength. To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today, we will come back stronger. The story of LSG this season is far from written.”
For now, Lucknow will look to shift focus back to cricket as they prepare to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5 in Hyderabad, hoping to move past both their on-field struggles and the off-field noise.
