Sanjiv Goenka explains why LSG didn’t use RTM for Marcus Stoinis, says ‘we are disappointed…’

New Delhi: The IPL 2025 mega auction witnessed teams spending extravagantly on both Indian and overseas players. Among the highlights was Marcus Stoinis, who was snapped up by the Punjab Kings for a staggering ₹11 crore, making him one of their marquee signings.

Marcus Stoinis, despite being one of Lucknow Super Giants’ key players, was not retained ahead of the auction. The Australian all-rounder had an impressive previous season, scoring 388 runs and claiming four wickets, but the franchise opted for a reshuffle in their lineup.

The auction for Marcus Stoinis turned into a fierce three-way battle between Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Chennai Super Kings. Ultimately, Ricky Ponting’s Punjab Kings emerged victorious in securing the Australian all-rounder. Surprisingly, Lucknow Super Giants chose not to participate in the bidding war and later refrained from using their Right to Match (RTM) card for Stoinis.

Lucknow Super Giants made headlines by spending an astronomical ₹27 crore to secure Rishabh Pant, making him the most expensive player in IPL history to date.

In an interaction with Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka revealed that Marcus Stoinis was very much a part of their plans, but their auction budget limited their options. Goenka explained, “Stoinis was definitely in our plans. We would have used the RTM for him had he been within 10 to 10.25 crores, but he went beyond. Yes, we would have definitely wanted Stoinis with us. We are disappointed that he is not, but this is the dynamic of any auction, now what to do?”

He further praised the Australian all-rounder, emphasizing that Marcus Stoinis would undoubtedly be one of the key players to watch in the upcoming season.

“You cannot let your personal likes dictate what is best for the franchise. What is good for the franchise is good for the franchise. Stoinis is very good. He was our second-highest (third-highest) run-getter last season. He was not given that much bowling, but he was probably the most effective bowler after Mayank (Yadav).”