LSG will play their IPL 2026 opener against DC on April 1 in Lucknow.
LSG had made their IPL debut in 2022 and made the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023, under the captaincy of KL Rahul. However, poor performance in IPL 2024 led to the franchise finishing outside the top four and ended with a 7th spot finish that year.
LSG hit the reset button prior to the 2025 Indian Premier League. KL Rahul, who guided them over their first three seasons, left them.
The team paid a record-breaking Rs 27 crore to hire Rishabh Pant, who was supposedly named their new captain. But their place on the table didn't change. They came in seventh once more.
Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of LSG, has set a goal for Pant and company as they prepare for another season: the squad must win its first IPL championship because the playoff qualifications are insufficient.
“I think 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," Goenka said on JioHotstar.
Goenka recently denied reports that LSG was considering releasing Pant. In reality, he defended the wicketkeeper-batter, saying that given the team's string of ailments, there wasn't much he could have done.
Goenka believes that their bowling unit needs to be strengthened, which they have done, while highlighting the positive aspects of the previous season.
“The positive (from IPL 2025) was that we won four of our first six games despite most of our frontline bowlers being injured. There were some bold moves, like 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," he said.
Goenka said he would like LSG to perform as a unit this year.
“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 added.
LSG will open their IPL 2026 tournament at home in Lucknow on April 1 against Delhi Capitals.
(JioHotstar inputs)