‘He is almost childlike’ – Sanjiv Goenka shares heartfelt take on Rishabh Pant

Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Lucknow Super Giants, has shared his personal perspective on Rishabh Pant following the batter’s departure from the franchise captaincy. Pant stepped down as LSG captain after a challenging two-season stint with the team, with the exit confirmed on May 29, 2026, after Pant requested relief from the role.

Goenka spoke candidly about Pant’s personality during an appearance on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast. The LSG owner expressed his affection for the batter, highlighting qualities that extend beyond his performance on the cricket field.

“I’m very fond of him [Rishabh Pant]. He has an innocence about him. He is almost childlike. He can come and hold you from behind with love, just like a child would. He can also come from anywhere and prank you. That’s the kind of person he is,” said Goenka as quoted by Outlook.

Goenka’s comments come just months after Pant’s stint as LSG captain came to an end. The franchise had invested heavily in the wicketkeeper-batter, signing him for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction before appointing him as captain. However, Pant was unable to deliver the desired results during his two seasons in Lucknow.

Pant’s captaincy tenure at LSG spanned 28 matches across the 2025 and 2026 seasons, during which the franchise won 11 matches and lost 17, recording a win percentage of 39.29 percent. In IPL 2025, Pant accumulated 269 runs at an average of 24.45 as a batter. During IPL 2026, his final season with LSG, Pant scored 312 runs across 14 matches at an average of 28.36, including one half-century.

LSG’s performance in IPL 2026 proved difficult, with the franchise winning only 4 of their 14 league matches and finishing at the bottom of the standings. The team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. In June 2026, Pant was traded to Delhi Capitals, with Kuldeep Yadav moving to LSG in the exchange. Pant had been signed by LSG for INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.