Sanjiv Goenka is the owner of IPL franchise the Lucknow Supaer Giants. His recent post on X (formerly Twitter) ignited fan conversation about a potential rift between him and the franchise’s captain Rishabh Pant. Goenka shared this comment on social media in mid-March of 2026
“I measure people by the results they deliver, not by the hours they sit behind a desk without delivering. Output is the only honest metric,” the LSG owner said. Fans immediately suggested that Goenka’s comments may be a sign of ongoing disagreeements between him and Pant ahead of IPL 2026.
Goenka Says He is a “Punching Bag” and is Aware of Social Media Comments
The franchise owner says he has faith in the abilities of Rishabh Pant. He also says social media sites that need views naturally focus on his comments to garner widespread attention:
“I personally have great confidence in Rishabh Pant. I know you guys (media) keep speculating if Rishabh will stay at LSG or not. I look at all that and only laugh. I think some social media sites need views. Sanjiv Goenka becomes a very happy and convenient punching bag,” the LSG executive said.
“100 percent (knowledge of social media memes). But, I don’t spend a lot of time on social media. I understand 5-10 percent of social media, so I don’t know what’s the reason. But, Sanjiv Goenka is a punching bag,” he added.
How Have the LSG Captains Performed So Far?
LSG has had four (4) full-time captains since their debut campaign four seasons ago. Their first-ever skipper was KL Rahul and he holds the record for most matches as skipper for LSG so far. Rahul’s decent captaincy record after three-dozen matches ended after his exit from the franchise in 2024. He managed to secure a 54.05% win percentage in 37 matches as LSG skipper.
| Player | Nationality | From | To | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Win % | Best Result |
| KL Rahul | India | 2022 | 2024 | 37 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 54.05 | Playoffs |
| Krunal Pandya | India | 2023 | 2023 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.00 | Stand-in |
| Nicholas Pooran | West Indies | 2024 | Present | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | Stand-in |
| Rishabh Pant | India | 2025 | Present | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 42.86 |
Other players like RIshabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, and Krunal Pandya are yet to achieve a lasting leadership legacy at LSG like Rahul.
Lucknow Super Giants IPL Performance by Season
The Super Giants made their IPL debut in 2022 and finished as one of the competition’s top three teams. LSG proved their impressive debut record was not a fluke as the franchise registered another third-place finish in 2023.
| Season | Stage | Position | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Win % |
| 2022 | Playoffs | 3rd | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 60.00 |
| 2023 | Playoffs | 3rd | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 53.33 |
| 2024 | League | 7th | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50.00 |
| 2025 | League | 7th | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 42.86 |
| Total | — | — | 58 | 30 | 27 | 1 | 51.72 |
However, gains made from their strong start waned in 2024 as LSG placed 7th out of 10 franchises for the first time. The franchise replicated their poor finish in 2025 with another 7th place performance after stringing underwhelming results all season.
LSG vs IPL Franchises Head-to-Head Record (2022-2025)
LSG has a decent head-to-head record against some of the IPL’s top franchises, particularly the competition’s most decorated teams. The franchise has a 75% success rate against the Mumbai Indians after eight (8) matches.
LSG has won 6 out of 8 games against the five-time IPL winners so far. The Super Giants also have 3 victories out of 6 matches versus the Chennai Super Kings, another IPL side at joint-top with MI in the trophy ladder (5 titles each).
| Opponent | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Success Rate (%) |
| Chennai Super Kings | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.00 |
| Delhi Capitals | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.90 |
| Gujarat Titans | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Mumbai Indians | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Punjab Kings | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.66 |
LSG Squad for IPL 2026
Batters: Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuwanshi
All-Rounders: Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Wanindu Hasaranga
Wicket Keepers: Rishabh Pant, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Mukul Choudhary, Josh Inglis
Bowlers: Akash Maharaj Singh, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Manimaran Siddharth, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari
Players Bought at Auction
Josh Inglis (Rs 8.60 cr), Mukul Choudhary (Rs 2.60 cr), Akshat Raghuwanshi (Rs 2.20 cr), Anrich Nortje (Rs 2 cr), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs 2 cr), Naman Tiwari (Rs 1 cr).
