Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: On Wednesday, March 1, 2026, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to kick off their IPL campaign (IPL 2026). Their opponents are the Delhi Capitals. Lucknow's owner is Sanjiv Goenka. He has been at the center of several controversies within the IPL, particularly during the 2024 season. At that time, KL Rahul was the team's captain. The memory of the heated on-field altercation between Goenka and Rahul remains vivid in the IPL landscape to this day.
The situation has been further complicated by two consecutive disappointing seasons for Lucknow; in both 2024 and 2025, LSG finished the season in seventh place on the league table. This time around, Goenka has acquired the services of veteran national team pacer Mohammed Shami for a sum of ₹10 crore. Shami has now emerged as a staunch defender of the owner, stating unequivocally that—considering the colossal amount of money Goenka has invested in the franchise—his reactions are entirely justified. Shami Speaks in Support of Goenka:
Appearing on the 'Unplugged' podcast, Shami remarked, "There is absolutely nothing wrong if Goenka-ji displays a sense of ownership regarding his team. If he expects strong performances and maximum effort from his players, there is no harm in that whatsoever." In 2021, Goenka acquired the Lucknow franchise for a 10-year period at a cost of ₹7,090 crore—amounting to an annual investment of ₹709 crore. With this staggering figure in mind, Shami observed, "There have been a plethora of memes circulating about Goenka-ji. A lot of narratives have been constructed that simply aren't fair or accurate. Ask any ordinary person to put up just 5,000 rupees, and you will see their heart tremble with anxiety—perhaps ten times over. They would be constantly worrying: 'What if I lose my 5,000 rupees and end up losing 10,000 instead?' Thus far, I have spoken with Goenka-ji on two or three occasions, and each time, he has conversed with me in a very gracious and logical manner." And the discussions have centered around the party. From the little I have spoken with him so far, I have been quite impressed.