sanjiv goenka-rishabh pant
LSG spent ₹27.4 crore on Pant at the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the most expensive player in the history of the tournament at the time. However, the move did not produce the desired results as LSG finished seventh in 2025 and slipped to 10th in 2026. Across 28 matches for the franchise, he scored 581 runs over the two seasons. Following the completion of IPL 2026, LSG confirmed that Pant and the franchise had mutually agreed to end their association.
Despite the premature conclusion to what was a record-breaking deal, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka said his relationship with Pant remained warm. “I said good luck and best wishes, but our last conversation wasn’t only till the contract. He will play a prank or something,” he said. Goenka, however, pushed back against the perception that he is overly stern and said his relationship with Pant had always been good.
Pant’s individual returns were also below expectations. 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. There had also been speculation about friction between Goenka and Pant during their time together. At one point, tense visuals involving the two surfaced after a match, prompting comparisons with Goenka’s much-discussed on-field exchange with former LSG captain KL Rahul .