IPL 2024: Sanjiv Goenka-KL Rahul episode evokes memories of MS Dhoni's fate

Sanjiv Goenka is facing public backlash over a viral video of him seemingly scolding Lucknow Super Giants' captain KL Rahul following the team's crushing defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad

IPL 2024 latest: The viral episode between Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka and captain KL Rahul over the team's crushing defeat against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday has triggered widespread speculations about Rahul's future in the team, drawing comparisons to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's fate.

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Goenka is facing massive backlash after a video of him seemingly scolding Rahul surfaced, leading to controversy over his conduct on-field. Many deemed Goenka's behaviour "unprofessional" and "immature" for lashing out at the team's captain in front of the cameras.

KL Rahul may not be retained in 2025 auction

Unconfirmed reports suggested that Rahul might step down as LSG's captain for their last two league games of IPL 2024. A report by the news agency PTI also claimed that Rahul, who was roped in before the auction in 2022, is unlikely to be retained before the 2025 mega auctions.

"There is a five-day gap before the next game against DC. As of now, no decision has been taken but it is understood that if Rahul plans to just concentrate on his batting for the remaining two games, the management won't mind," an IPL source told PTI.

When Dhoni was sacked as Rising Pune Supergiants' captain

The incident evoked memories of Dhoni's fate when he was sacked by Rising Pune Supergiants as its captain in the second season, then owned by Goenka. Dhoni was replaced by Steve Smith.

"Dhoni has not stepped down. We have appointed Steve Smith as the skipper for the upcoming season. Frankly speaking, we did not have a good last season, and we wanted someone young to lead the side and revamp it ahead of the upcoming season 10," Goenka told the media back in 2017.

 

The controversy further escalated when Sanjiv's brother, Harsh Goenka, praised Smith while taking a dig at Dhoni. "RPSvMI Smith proves who's the king of the jungle. Overshadows Dhoni totally. Captains innings. Great move to appoint him as captain," Harsh had posted on X (formerly Twitter) on April 6, 2017.

Dhoni joined Pune after Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two years due to an illegal betting scandal. He returned to the Chennai Super Kings in 2018, and is crediting with leading the team to remarkable success, winning all five IPL trophies under his captaincy.

What transpired in Sunrisers Hyderabad versus LSG match?

Sunrisers Hyderabad's openers Travis Head (89 not out off 30 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (75 off 28 balls) dominated the LSG attack, chasing down the 167-run target in under ten overs. LSG's batters faced difficulties on the same pitch in Hyderabad.

Worse, Rahul's (29 off 33 balls) batting in the Powerplay has been one of the biggest reasons for LSG's below-par show in the cash-rich league, and it seems that Goenka has finally run out of patience.

Among the top eight run-getters in the ongoing season, Rahul has the worst strike-rate batting (136.09)  inside the top three.

(With PTI inputs)