- By Vishal Pushkar
- Tue, 14 May 2024 05:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The atmosphere within the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) camp appears to have improved significantly following a period of tension and speculation. This change comes in the wake of a viral video showing LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka having an animated discussion with skipper KL Rahul after a heavy defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, which led to widespread speculation about Rahul's future as captain.
A week after the incident, Goenka and Rahul were seen sharing a warm hug at a special dinner hosted by Goenka for the team in Delhi, ahead of their crucial IPL 2024 league game against the Delhi Capitals.
KL Rahul with Sanjiv Goenka at the special Dinner in Sanjiv Goenka's home last night in Delhi. [LSG]
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 14, 2024
- All is well at LSG Camp. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/W5BtE0Qmff
The controversy began after LSG's crushing 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where LSG's bowlers were unable to defend a target of 165. The openers for SRH, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, chased down the total in under 10 overs, dealing a significant blow to LSG's net run rate (NRR), which is now the lowest among all teams. This loss put LSG's playoff hopes in jeopardy, leading to intense scrutiny and criticism of Goenka's public reprimand of Rahul.
Former cricketers and fans criticized Goenka's actions as unnecessary, and the lack of immediate clarification from the LSG camp fueled rumors about Rahul's potential resignation as captain and his uncertain future with the team beyond this season. Reports suggested that Rahul might step down for the remainder of IPL 2024 and that he might not be retained by LSG for the 2025 season.
Recently, LSG coach Justin Langer also provided clarity in an interview with the Times of India, explaining that the conversation between Goenka and Rahul, though seemingly aggressive, was actually quite tame.
“Our plan for the game didn’t go perfectly. In fact, it was a disaster. After the game, Mr Goenka came onto the field and asked KL, ‘What happened? Our plan that we talked about hasn’t worked. What do we do now?’ And then we talked through it. The sound was off, no one heard what was said. It might have looked quite aggressive, but it was really quite tame,” said Langer.
