'He is almost childlike' - Sanjiv Goenka shares heartfelt take on Rishabh Pant

Goenka on Pant: "Almost childlike" — The Human Side of a Captaincy That Didn't Pan Out

LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka just opened up about Rishabh Pant in the most genuine way, and honestly, it says more about character than any win-loss table ever could.

The backdrop: Pant handed in the LSG armband after a brutal two-season spell. Confirmed gone on May 29, 2026, after he himself asked for relief from the captaincy. The numbers never justified the investment — 27 crick at the IPL 2025 mega auction, and a record that never followed suit.

The captaincy tally: 28 matches, 11 wins, 17 losses — 39.29% win rate. As a bat, he logged 269 runs (avg 24.45) in IPL 2025 and 312 (avg 28.36, 1 fifty) in 2026. LSG finished bottom of the table in 2026 and missed the playoffs for the third year running.

The exit: Traded to Delhi Capitals in June 2026, with Kuldeep Yadav heading the other way. A clean split, both sides moving on.

Goenka's take (the real story): On Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, the LSG boss didn't talk stats — he talked heart. "I'm very fond of him. 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."

My read: Talent and character don't always convert to trophies, but Goenka clearly values the guy beyond the spreadsheet. Some leaders win; some people just matter. Pant's a batter who's still figuring out the captain's job — and Goenka's warmth suggests this relationship isn't over.

What do you all think — was the LSG stint doomed from day one, or did the captaincy just overwhelm a special player?

Source: Crictracker