Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant made Sanjiv Goenka a talking point at the toss ahead of the IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians on Monday, drawing attention to the owner’s involvement as the franchise looks to turn its campaign around. LSG’s season so far has been difficult: they have managed just two wins from eight matches and now face a steep climb to reach the playoffs. For Pant’s team to keep their qualification hopes alive, they need to win each of their remaining games and also rely on results elsewhere to ensure they finish in the top four.
When asked about the side’s current form, Pant said Goenka’s passion for both cricket and the team is well known, and he linked that energy to the responsibility the squad feels to perform. He added that the team’s break has been used to reflect, with an emphasis on improving their execution so they can deliver more steady outcomes for supporters as well as their owner. Pant also referenced the opportunity presented by playing at Wankhede, suggesting it is a venue where batters can be effective and targets are chaseable.
In response to questions about how the week off helped, Pant said it definitely served a purpose, allowing both the group and individuals to look at what can be improved. He acknowledged that it has been a tough season for Lucknow, but stressed that there has been no escaping the disappointment—especially because the hardest period has been felt by Goenka, given his deep connection to the team. Pant’s message was that the team’s promise from this break is to give everything going forward, aiming to restore the happiness for fans and to make amends for letting them down.
On the practical side, Pant revealed that Lucknow would make three changes for the match. Josh Inglis comes into the XI, while Mukul will miss out. Akshat Raghuvanshi is set to make his debut, and Pant indicated that the final decision regarding bowling would be settled close to the start of play.
Playing XIs:
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Akshat Raghuvanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav.
Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma.
