Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka recently explained that the franchise’s ₹27 crore bid for Rishabh Pant during the IPL 2025 mega auction was not driven by ego but by the value Pant brings to the team.
The wicketkeeper-batter made history by becoming the most expensive player in IPL history, surpassing the previous records of Shreyas Iyer, who was bought for ₹26.75 crore by Punjab Kings, and Venkatesh Iyer, acquired for ₹23.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders.
In total, LSG secured 19 players at the auction, including global cricket stars like David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Akash Deep, and Aiden Markram, in addition to the five players they retained last month. With Pant now on board, the former Delhi Capitals player is expected to take on the leadership role for LSG in the upcoming season.
Sanjiv Goenka emphasized that the franchise’s decision was not about the price tag but about the player’s potential impact. “This was not about one individual player. It was not about egos. Did we want to have the most expensive player? No. At the end of the day, this does not mean very much to the franchise,” Goenka stated in an interview with Cricbuzz.
