Following a dramatic IPL 2025 encounter where Delhi Capitals narrowly defeated Lucknow Super Giants, LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen engaging in conversation with Captain Rishabh Pant and Head Coach Justin Langer after the game on Monday night.
This interaction quickly drew comparisons on social media to Goenka's visibly intense discussion with then LSG captain K L Rahul after a loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.
That earlier incident, where Goenka appeared to be criticising Rahul, sparked significant controversy, ultimately leading to Rahul's departure from the franchise.
At the subsequent mega-auction, LSG made a substantial investment, spending a reported Rs 27 crore (Rs 270 million) to secure Pant, appointing him captain.
However, Pant's LSG debut proved challenging. He was dismissed without scoring after facing six deliveries and faced scrutiny for his captaincy decisions.
Sunil Gavaskar, who was in the commentary box when Goenka's conversation with Pant was aired live, shared his perspective on the young skipper's rocky start.
'I think he knows. He actually mentioned in the post-match interview that you often learn more from your mistakes than from your successes. When you bat well, there's not much to reflect upon, but when you don't perform with the bat or ball, you understand the areas that need improvement,' Gavaskar noted.
'This is just the first match, and there are 13 more to go. Rishabh Pant is an intelligent cricketer, and he will have picked up valuable insights regarding his batting and captaincy. I believe we will see him improve his performance.
'Additionally, when a captain scores runs or takes wickets, it significantly boosts their confidence in making bowling changes and setting the field. Once he gets some runs under his belt, I expect his captaincy to become even more assured.'
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