Chances to qualify for the IPL 2024 became slimmer for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday after the KL Rahul-led squad was defeated by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 wickets. Courtesy of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's onslaught while chasing a tricky total of 165, the Men In Orange sealed the victory inside 10 overs. Aussie batter Travis Head smashed 89 off 30 balls, his opening partner Abhishek Sharma smashed 75 off 28 balls. After defeating the LSG, Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad bolstered his chances to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. However, what caught everyone's attention on Wednesday was when Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka was seen furious with LSG skipper KL Rahul. Many believed that Sanjiv Goenka was publically scolding Team India cricketer KL Rahul after the humiliating loss against SRH. This sparked a massive uproar on social media with fans slamming billionaire Sanjiv Goenka for displaying such poor act. Not only this, even former cricketers and commentators present expressed their disbelief. Scott Styris lauded KL Rahul for keeping his calm when Sanjeev Goenka was not holding back his emotions. Now, the question arises who is Sanjiv Goenka, LSG owner? Below is all about Sanjeev Goenka-
Who is Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Lucknow Super Giants?
Born and raised in Kolkata, Sanjiv Goenka is a Billionaire and the founder & chairman of RPSG Group. With a US$6 billion asset base and US$4.3 billion revenue, RPSG Group is headquartered in Kolkata. Apart from being the owner of LSG, Goenka owns the ISL football team Mohun Bagan Super Giant. As per the Forbes 2022 report, Sanjiv Goenka is the 83rd richest person in India and overall 1238th in the world. He was also a member of the Padma Award Committee 2023. Talking about his education, Sanjiv Goenka is an alumnus of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. Goenka received his Bachelor of Commerce Degree in 1981. As per Forbes, Sanjiv Goenka's net worth is $3.5B. Sanjiv Goenka has two kids. Sanjiv Goenka's older brother Harsh Goenka runs his separate group and he is also a billionaire.
Sanjiv Goenka scolds KL Rahul
Notably, KL Rahul was roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Rs 17 crore. KL Rahul switched from Punjab and started captaining LSG. Notably, under KL Rahul's captaincy, LSG has qualified for the IPL playoffs in the last two seasons. However, after defeat against SRH, LSG slipped to the sixth spot in the points table and their Net Run Rate took a huge hit after the one-sided game in Hyderabad. Lucknow have 12 points in as many games, 2 fewer than third-placed SunRisers. KL Rahul paid the price for being timid on the field. While he won the toss and opted to bat, lack of intent in the powerplay cost the visiting team. LSG managed just 27 runs and lost 2 wickets at the end of the powerplay while SunRisers, thanks to Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head's ruthless knocks, reached 107 at the end of their powerplay. The 80-run difference between the two teams' totals in the powerplay is also the highest in IPL history.
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