Sanjiv Goenka's rift with KL Rahul: Amit Mishra defends LSG owner, blames media for 'showing too much'

The Indian Premier League boasts of some of the biggest names in international cricket, with the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, to name a few, all becoming household names in India.

However, the spotlight is not onlyon the players as the owners of the IPL franchises also regularly make it to the news.

Sanjiv Goenka of the Lucknow Super Giants is one such owner.

The 64-year-old has been the talk of the social media town for his apparent interference in cricketing matters for the last couple of seasons.

Goenka overly critical of players? Mishra says no

One example of the above perception is a much publicised ‘rift’ between Goenka and former LSG skipper KL Rahul.

However, former India leg spinner Amit Mishra has shot down those perceptions. The 42-year-old Mishra said that the Goenka-Rahul spat has been blown out of proportion, stating LSG's owner only asked Rahul and the team to show more fight.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Mishra said: "I feel that the media has shown off a little too much. I didn’t feel that there was anything like that (rift with KL Rahul).

"But this time, I feel that the overall discussion is going on. It is not like that at all. I can say this because we were losing two matches very badly. We lost in Kolkata in an awful way. We lost the match in 11 overs. Then we went to Hyderabad, where we lost the match in 9 overs.

"So, if there is any owner, he says that losing is okay, but just go out there and show some fight. Fight and lose, I have no problem. This is what people told me. This is what happened. But I feel that even after losing so badly, we lost two matches more.

"He came to the dressing room. The owner gives motivation to the team. He never said anything wrong or said anything in a very high tone,” he added.

KL Rahul Sanjiv Goenka ‘rift’

In IPL 2024, there were reports of a rift between him and the then LSG skipper KL Rahul.

The supposed friction came to a light after the LSG boss blasted Rahul after a humiliating loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in that IPL season.

After the match, Visuals of an animated chat between Goenka and Rahul, in which the former was apparently chiding the LSG skipper for the team's performance, went viral on social media. Eventually, LSG let go off Rahul and did not retain him in the IPL 2025 auctions.

Earlier this year, Goenka had an awkward reunion with his former skipper, now with Delhi Capitals who bought him for ₹14 crore. Rahul starred in DC's win against LSG as he guided his team to an 8-wicket win at the Ekana Cricket stadium in IPL 2025.

During post-match interactions, Goenka reached out his hand to congratulate Rahul for his unbeaten half century but the latter's body language looked less than welcoming. The video of the interaction went viral very quickly, as you can imagine.

IPL 2025

LSG are going through a bit of a slump, having lost 3 of their last 4 matches. They are currently 6th in the IPL standings with 10 points to their name and their next fixture is against Punjab Kings on May 4, 2025.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul and his DC side take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders later today at the Arun Jaitley stadium.

Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.