'KL Rahul was making all LSG playing XIs and changes...': Sanjiv Goenka's infamous chat with India batter revealed

There is a general impression among cricket fans that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka is very strict and always demands positive results. Several videos have been doing the rounds showing Goenka interacting with current captain Rishabh Pant on the field. However, these speculations first gained steam last year when Sanjiv Goenka was seen having an animated chat with the then-captain KL Rahul following the ten-wicket thrashing at the hands of SunRisers Hyderabad. Amit Mishra has finally spilled the beans on the conversation between KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka (X)

Amit Mishra, a former LSG spinner, has now debunked this myth, saying Sanjiv Goenka is very friendly and just wants his team to do well at all times. While speaking on Cricbuzz, Amit Mishra also revealed that KL Rahul was responsible for making all the decisions last season.

The 42-year-old said that the situation is entirely different this season as, from the outside, it looks like team mentor Zaheer Khan and head coach Justin Langer have a lot more involvement, and it is a collective unit out there.

"I spoke to the coach last season, and he told me that KL Rahul is doing all the work. He is making the 11s, making all the changes, and planning. But this year, I don't feel like that. This year, when Zaheer Khan has gone, I feel like he is talking to everyone. If you see, there is a discussion going on, they are talking to each other," Mishra said.

"I saw the coach Justin Langer on the pitch before the match against Mumbai Indians. He was speaking to Digvesh Rathi. So, I feel that the discussion is going well overall. I don't feel he is very involved if you talk about the owner. Yes, he definitely wants to win. But he always stays positive when coming to the dressing room," he added.

'Media has shown a little too much'

Amit Mishra also revealed the conversation between KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka last season after Lucknow Super Giants conceded more than 160 runs in ten overs against Pat Cummins' SRH. The former India spinner said that Sanjiv Goenka just spoke about how he wants his team to show fight at all times.

"I feel that the media has shown off a little too much. I didn't feel that there was anything like that. 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," said Mishra.

"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.

Speaking of KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka, the latter tried to interact with the India batter after LSG's defeat to Delhi Capitals this season. However, Rahul seemed in a hurry and returned to the dugout after shaking hands with him and his son.

Talking about Lucknow Super Giants, the franchise recently suffered a 54-run defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The team is now placed in sixth place in the points table.

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