Plan to have dinner with Pant: LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka on ties with DC star

Sanjiv Goenka said he remains in touch with Rishabh Pant despite his trade to Delhi Capitals. Pant was unable to inspire Lucknow to the playoffs during his two-year stay as the captain of the side.Pant returned to DC after two years with LSG (Courtesy: PTI)Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka has spoken publicly about Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter's recent departure from the franchise. Pant, the most expensive player ever bought in IPL auction history, has returned to Delhi Capitals as part of a blockbuster trade that also sent spinner Kuldeep Yadav to LSG.Pant had begun his IPL journey with Delhi in 2016 and spent eight seasons with the franchise before Lucknow Super Giants snapped him up for a record Rs. 27 crore at the auction ahead of the 2025 season. However, LSG failed to make the playoffs in both of Pant's seasons with the team, eventually paving the way for his exit.The 28-year-old is set to rejoin Delhi Capitals on a revised salary of Rs. 15 crore and is expected to lead the side from the 2027 IPL season. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, Goenka was asked about his final conversation with Pant before the latter completed his move back to Delhi Capitals.Interviewer: When Rishabh was leaving, what was your last convo with him? You both ended things on very happy note.Goenka: Our last conversation wasn’t just about trade. We keep talking even after that.Good luck to him & best wishes.We plan to have dinner one of these days. pic.twitter.com/y6M2nx3TwJ— Drona (@drona_17) September 13, 2026Goenka stated that he is still in good terms with Pant and they have continued to chat even after the trade was done. "Our last conversation wasn't just about the trade. We have continued to speak even after that," said Goenka.When asked about the nature of the conversation, Goenka wished Pant all success in his second stint with DC and said they are also planning to meet over dinner in the future. "Good luck to him and best wishes. We plan to have dinner one of these days," added Goenka.PANT'S LAST SEASON WITH LSGIn his last season for LSG, Pant scored 312 runs from 14 matches with just a fifty to his name. His strike-rate was 138.05 and there was a lot of criticism regarding his performances.With him at the helm, LSG won just four matches all season and finished in 10th spot in the league table. Pant then stepped down as the skipper of Lucknow before his eventual exit from the team.- EndsPublished On: Sep 13, 2026 18:19 IST