On May 19, 2025, the Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated the Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets, ending the LSG's playoff hopes for IPL 2025. Although set a massive target of 205 for 7, with half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram, the LSG could not stop the aggressive 50 off just 18 balls from Abhishek Sharma and the calm finish from Heinrich Klaasen. The loss forced LSG to seventh in the standings, confirming their elimination from the playoff race. While there was tension in the field, the real drama unfolded off the field. Owner Sanjiv Goenka was visibly upset, especially after Rishabh Pant was dismissed cheaply. Bought for an exorbitant sum of Rs 27 crores before the start of the season, Pant was supposed to be the game-changer for LSG. But he has hardly made an impact as every run he has scored has cost the team something close to Rs 20 lakhs. He has scored 135 runs in 11 innings, with 63 of them coming in a single innings. It’s been a challenging second half of the season, but there’s much to take heart in. The spirit, the effort, and the moments of excellence give us a lot to build on. Two games remain. Let’s play with pride and finish strong. #LSGvsSRH pic.twitter.com/gFzyddlnMn — Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) May 20, 2025 Pant's latest flop came just following a decent 115-run opening partnership, and likely triggered Goenka's not-so-amusing displeasure. Cameras followed the owner leaving the stands, and going straight to the dressing room mid-game, clearly off his of his game. Yet after the loss, I saw him speak with players as he often does after the match. Read also: Digvesh Rathi crosses boundary, triggered Abhishek Sharma after dismissing him As it turns out, Goenka also posted a photo of him smiling, hand on Pant's shoulder, while Pant was speaking with his teammates. With two games left, LSG now wants to end well and start looking ahead - that is especially true considering the investment they have made in Pant.