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Rishabh Pant was ‘really keen’ on having Matheesha Pathirana on board, but LSG reached breaking point: ‘…Absolute limit’
Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka revealed that Rishabh Pant was really keen on having Matheesha Pathirana on board, but it was not to be the case.
Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction at a base price of INR 2 crore, and in the end, he ended up fetching nine times the money, going for INR 18 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). A three-way bidding war broke out between KKR, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG); however, in the end, the three-time champions came out on the right side of the result.
Midway through the mini auction, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka revealed that his captain, Rishabh Pant, was really keen on having Pathirana on board, and this is the main reason behind their going up to INR 17.8 crore.
However, he revealed that the franchise reached the breaking point as INR 18 crore was the absolute limit they were not willing to breach for Pathirana. The failure to acquire the Sri Lanka speedster forced the Pant-led franchise to bring Anrich Nortje on board at his base price.
“Yes, our captain and vice-captain were both very keen on Matheesha Pathirana, as was I. We were also very interested in Anrich Nortje. Pathirana was our priority, and we went up to INR 17.8 crore, which was our absolute limit — we didn’t have the purse to go beyond that," said Goenka while speaking to broadcaster JioStar.
“When Anrich Nortje came up later, we were pleasantly surprised and delighted to secure him at the base price. So overall, it was a very considered, concerted, and well-thought-out decision,” he added.
Who were LSG's primary targets?
While speaking about the team's auction strategy, Goenka revealed that Pathirana and Wanindu Hasaranga were the side's primary auction targets, and they only failed to acquire the Sri Lankan pacer.
“We are very close to our primary targets. Our key objectives were to secure one quality international leg-spinner and one reputed international fast bowler. Wanindu Hasaranga was our first-choice leg-spinner, and for the fast-bowling option, it was between Matheesha Pathirana and Anrich Nortje," said Goenka.
“We are delighted to have acquired two players who were part of our shortlisted three, so we are extremely happy with how the auction has unfolded,” he added.
Players purchased by LSG in the IPL mini-auction: Josh Inglis (INR 8.60 crore), Mukul Choudhary (INR 2.6 crore), Akshat Raghuwanshi (INR 2.2 crore), Anrich Nortje (INR 2 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (INR 2 crore), and Naman Tiwari (INR 1 crore).
