Sanjiv Goenka didn’t hide his anger following LSG’s drubbing against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
The conversation between KL Rahul and Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka drew attention from fans and former cricketers alike following the side’s 10-wicket drubbing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. After setting a 166-run target, LSG faced the wrath of SRH’s opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, as they smashed the bowlers all around the park to chase the target down in just 9.4 overs.
Sanjiv Goenka (L) didn’t look too pleased as he talked to KL Rahul(X)
Goenka was displeased with how LSG were taken to the cleaners in the match and seemingly expressed his displeasure at Rahul after the match. The visuals from their interaction became viral on social media platforms, with many fans criticising the LSG owner for his rather aggressive chat publicly. Fans stated Goenka could have waited for the players to reach a private space to have the conversation, and during the live broadcast, the duo of Mike Hesson and Graeme Smith – both of whom have been associated with IPL franchises before – felt the same.
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Hesson believed Goenka’s displeasure was understandable, but he seemed surprised with the LSG owner choosing to express the sentiment publicly. He also stated that there was a gap in quality between the two teams and that the Super Giants were too conservative in their approach. While both SRH openers played at a strike rate well beyond 250, LSG captain Rahul scored 29 off 31 balls.
“He’s on his head, isn’t he? He’s voicing his concerns, and KL is going, ‘hang on, not quite sure what are you asking us to do’. Today was pretty clear: SRH were on from ball one in the field, and LSG were a bit conservative in terms of how they operate. If you compare that with how Sunrisers play, no doubt there was a distinct gap. He’s voicing his displeasure,” Hesson told JioCinema.
Could’ve done it behind closed doors
Graeme Smith believed the owner was “passionate”, but there is a time and place to have such conversations. He also sympathised with Rahul, adding that it will be difficult for the LSG skipper to answer potential questions about his chat with Goenka.
“It’s the owner who is very passionate about his team. His team has taken an absolute drubbing, and the emotions have rolled over. You feel these conversations should be happening behind closed doors. There are so many cameras around; they’re not missing anything. KL Rahul would now go to press conferences and other things and potentially explain what’s been discussed,” said Smith.
