Rishabh Pant’s two-season stint with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ended with a high-profile trade to Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of IPL 2027. The move came less than three months after Pant requested to step down as LSG captain. His request at the time raised questions about what happened between the India wicketkeeper-batter and franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka.
The circumstances surrounding Pant’s departure tell one story while Goenka’s latest comments tell another. Let’s see what happened between the LSG owner and Pant and whether the trade actually damaged their relationship.
Pant Joined LSG for a Record Fee
Rishabh Pant became the headline signing of the IPL 2025 mega auction when Lucknow Super Giants acquired him for ₹27 crore. It was the highest price ever paid for a player in an IPL auction at the time. LSG clearly saw Pant as a long-term addition to their squad based on the huge fee paid for his services in late 2024.
LSG appointed Pant as captain to give the wicketkeeper-batter responsibility to lead a team that had reached the playoffs in each of its first two IPL seasons.
The arrangement therefore carried major expectations from the start. Pant was expected to contribute with the bat and provide LSG leadership to move beyond the 7th-place finishes they recorded in 2024 and 2025.
IPL 2025 Brought Early Pressure
Pant’s first season with LSG did not produce expected results. He scored 269 runs in 14 matches at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.17, although he did register a century during the campaign.
There were also moments when Goenka and Pant’s public conservations attracted major attention. One of such incidents occurred after LSG lost to Delhi Capitals in their opening game of IPL 2025. Goenka was filmed speaking at length with Pant and head coach Justin Langer.
Goenka once had a feisty public exchange with former LSG captain KL Rahul, and this memory caused fans to enter lengthy discussions over Pant’s future.
Another On-Field Conversation Went Viral
Cameras again captured Goenka also engaged Pant in an animated discussion after LSG lost to the Punjab Kings at IPL 2025. The exact content of the conversation is not publicly known, as there was no audio from the exchange.
Pant’s Second Season Was More Difficult
The 2026 campaign placed even greater pressure on the partnership between Pant and LSG. Pant scored 312 runs in 14 matches while averaging 28.36 at a strike rate of 138.05. He was the franchise’s leading run-scorer for the season, but the team finished at the bottom of the league table.
Pant’s two seasons produced 581 runs in 28 matches while LSG finished 7th in 2025 and 10th in 2026.
Pant LSG IPL performance
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| 2025 | 14 | 269 | 24.45 | 133.17 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 | 14 | 312 | 28.36 | 138.05 | 0 | 1 |
| Total for LSG | 28 | 581 | 1 | 2 |
LSG’s campaign included several difficult defeats and ended without a playoff appearance. Pant’s individual numbers were an improvement from his 2025 total, but the franchise could not translate that production into a successful season.
Pant Steps Down as LSG Captain
The turning point arrived near the end of IPL 2026 when Pant requested to be relieved of his captaincy. LSG confirmed on May 29, 2026 that the franchise accepted his request with immediate effect.
The announcement did not publicly cite a dispute between Pant and Goenka as the reason for the change, but instead presenting it as a leadership decision accepted by the franchise.
LSG and Pant Eventually Part Ways
Pant’s first stint with the LSG ended altogether after IPL 2026. The franchise officially confirmed a trade with Delhi Capitals that sent Pant back to the team for whom he had begun his IPL career, while India spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved in the opposite direction.
The Trade Raised Fresh Questions
The timing of the move naturally led to questions about whether Pant and Goenka had fallen out. A record-breaking purchase ending after just two seasons, followed by the captain giving up the role and then changing franchises created an obvious narrative around the split.
However, available details do not reveal that a personal fallout occurred between Pant and Goenka before this trade.
Pant Returns to Delhi Capitals
Pant began his IPL career with Delhi Capitals in 2016 and spent several seasons with the franchise before moving to LSG ahead of IPL 2025. His return represents a major change after only two years away from the Delhi setup.
The move also places Pant back in a familiar environment as Delhi prepare for IPL 2027. The trade was completed after both franchises agreed to exchange players to end the short LSG chapter that began with the most expensive auction purchase in IPL history at the time.
