Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka has revealed the intense planning and calculated strategy behind their jaw-dropping bid for Rishabh Pant at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He said that the franchise’s hunt for the dynamic Indian wicketkeeper-batter was a calculated gamble.
Goenka’s approach was a mix of science and intuition of rival intentions at the IPL 2025 auction. He also highlighted how Delhi Capitals used their Right to Match (RTM) card for Pant, which eventually helped them to put in such a bid that they couldn’t go beyond to secure the talented cricketer.
There was science behind going at 27 Cr for Rishabh Pant: Sanjiv Goenka
Sanjiv Goenka further revealed that Lucknow Super Giants had their sights on a staggering INR 25–27 crore range for Rishabh Pant, as they didn’t want to lose out on the perfect anchor for the team.
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The bidding war reached its peak when Delhi Capitals used their Right to Match (RTM) card without wasting a single second, and Goenka knew that Parth Jindal, DC co-owner, was crazy for Pant, so he sensed their strong intent to keep him at all costs.
Sanjiv Goenka said on Ranveer Ka Unfiltered Podcast: “There was science behind going at 27 Cr for Rishabh Pant. Delhi went at 26.5 Cr for Shreyas Iyer. So, then my feeling was, ‘Parth Jindal is so crazy for Rishabh Pant, he would go one up at the IPL Auction.’ So, the idea was to go two up from Parth, or even three up, and that is where he would stop. For Rishabh, we had calculated three scenarios, and in all of them, he was very important to us.”
Lucknow Super Giants owner reveals Delhi Capitals keen to go the full extent to bring Rishabh Pant back at the IPL 2025 mega auction
The LSG owner assumed that Parth Jindal would stop at a certain stage, so they aimed to push them beyond that limit to secure Rishabh Pant at the IPL 2025 mega auction, as their main goal was about building the Lucknow Super Giants’ core around the Indian wicketkeeper-batter.
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Goenka further explained, “We knew we were going to get him, and we had kept between 25 and 27 crores for him in all our planning. So, when the bidding stopped for Rishabh at 21-22 Cr, DC did not waste even a second to use RTM for him. So that means they were willing to go to the full extent that we have to take Rishabh.
However, whatever the circumstances were, they did not retain him, or Rishabh was not willing to be retained. It is not right for me to discuss that or comment on it, but they were keen. If you look at Parth’s reaction, it is more like the deal is done. Looking at all this, we thought 27 Cr was a safe bid. Had Rishabh not come to us, LSG would have missed an Indian anchor around whom the entire team is built.”
Sanjiv Goenka hints at placing a bid beyond INR 27 crore if DC would have challenged their bid
In the end, Goenka shared how he confidently strategized to secure Pant at the IPL mega auction, as well as revealed how many experts were suggesting he buy Yuzvendra Chahal and Jos Buttler, but not the Indian wicketkeeper, as they told him he is set to join CSK or RCB.
Despite predictions on Pant’s bidding range, the LSG owner had planned to bid INR 27 crore, as he was confident that no one would outbid him. He admitted that if Delhi Capitals used the RTM at that price, it would benefit Pant financially, but LSG planned to secure him at any cost.
