LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka Breaks Silence on Social Media Trolls and Pant | IPL 2026 | Vikrant Gupta

In an exclusive interview with Vikrant Gupta, Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Lucknow Super Giants, shared honest and insightful thoughts ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. Goenka revealed a very important truth about the IPL auction, saying that teams never get their ideal playing XI or full wishlist of players. However, he expressed happiness with LSG’s auction outcome this year, stating that the team management came out satisfied and confident. He also mentioned that the players are working very hard in practice sessions and the overall confidence in the squad is high. Talking about last season, Goenka clearly pointed out that injuries were the biggest reason behind LSG’s poor performance. He said that four main bowlers were injured, which made it very difficult for the team to compete consistently. According to him, batters can win you matches, but a strong bowling unit is needed to win a long tournament like the IPL. He strongly backed Rishabh Pant, saying that the captain was under pressure last season due to injuries in the bowling lineup. He added that when key players are unavailable, it naturally affects a captain’s decisions and performance. Goenka also dismissed social media rumours about Pant’s future with LSG, saying he finds such trolling funny and has complete confidence in his captain. Addressing trolls, Goenka said people often use his name for attention and views, calling him a “punching bag” on social media. He made it clear that he does not take such criticism seriously and does not spend much time on social media. Looking ahead to IPL 2026, he expressed strong belief in the current squad, highlighting a powerful top order featuring Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Rishabh Pant. He emphasized that the team now has the right balance of experienced and young players, making the squad stronger and more stable compared to last season. Goenka concluded by saying that LSG’s batting was already performing well last year, but bowling issues cost them matches. This season, with