Sanjiv Goenka Aims for IPL Glory with Lucknow Super Giants in 2026
Goenka's Vision for LSG
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 25: Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has articulated that merely making it to the playoffs is insufficient for earning genuine respect in the cricketing world. He emphasized that the team must strive to clinch the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy as they prepare for the 2026 season.
In an interview with JioStar, Goenka remarked that LSG is still in the process of establishing its identity, asserting that true acknowledgment comes only through winning championships. While he recognizes the significance of playoff appearances, he insists that the ultimate goal is to secure their inaugural trophy.
Goenka stated, "The true identity is still evolving. For any sports team, until you win, you don’t receive the same level of respect or affection that comes with lifting the trophy. Yes, we’ve made the playoffs twice, but that’s clearly not good enough. You win some, you lose some, but we have to win our first trophy."
He also noted that LSG managed to win four out of their first six matches in the IPL 2025 season, despite facing injuries to key bowlers.
Goenka highlighted successful strategies, such as promoting Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh as openers, who scored 445 and 627 runs respectively in 13 matches. He also praised newcomer Digvesh Rathi for becoming the franchise's highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in the same number of matches. He acknowledged the previous season's lack of a robust bowling lineup and mentioned that the team is now focused on enhancing it with a strong domestic Indian bowling unit.
"The positive was that we won four of our first six games despite most of our frontline bowlers being injured. There were some bold moves, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh opening, which isn’t their usual position, and it turned out to be their best IPL season for both of them. Digvesh Rathi came in as a complete newcomer and did well for us. However, we did realize that we lacked a strong bowling core, and we’ve consciously addressed that by building a domestic Indian bowling unit this time. We’re happy with what we have," Goenka added.
The LSG owner further mentioned that their squad for IPL 2026 is well-rounded, and the focus now shifts to collective execution rather than individual performances.
"You can always improve, aspire to do better; there’s no end to improving. But at the end of the day, this is a squad that has everything required. Now it’s about coming together and performing as a unit, rather than as individuals. Last year, there were too many individuals performing. This year, we want to perform as a team," he explained.
The Rishabh Pant-led LSG will kick off their IPL 2026 journey against the Delhi Capitals on April 1, followed by matches against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5, the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 9, and the Gujarat Titans on April 12 during the tournament's initial phase.
It is noteworthy that the BCCI has only released the schedule for the first phase of the 2026 IPL, which will take place from March 28 to April 12.
Defending champions RCB will commence the tournament with a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Lucknow Super Giants squad for IPL 2026 includes: Rishabh Pant (captain), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan.