"How about you just have a coffee with him?" - Justin Langer reveals becoming LSG coach after rejecting the role ahead of IPL 2025

Former Australia batter Justin Langer recalled how he reversed his decision to step away from head coach roles after a meeting with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner, Sanjiv Goenka. The World Cup-winning coach accepted the vacant position after Andy Flower's departure ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Justin Langer had left his role with the Australia men's team in February 2022 after a botched contract extension, and had not sought any coaching roles actively. He was linked with the vacant England head coach post after Chris Silverwood, but the role eventually went to Brendon McCullum.

The former player outlined how a chance encounter with Sanjiv Goenka in London led him to take up the challenging assignment in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"I'm in London for the World Cricket Committee, and I get this text message , 'Hi, I'm Vinay Chopra from LSG, we're wondering if you are interested in being our coach next year', and I'd been asked 15 times whether I wanted to be a head coach between finishing from Australia till then. It was the easiest no in my life," Langer said on the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast (9:15).

"By absolute fluke, Mr .Goenka, the owner, he is in London as well. So, the guy texts me 'How about you just have a coffee with him?' I was doing a mentoring session with a business guy in London that morning, only 150 metres away from the hotel that he was staying in. So, I sit with Mr. Goenka, and we have this nice conversation. He was calm, nice, and he is a very successful businessman." he added (10:15).

LSG had a mixed first season under Justin Langer. The team finished seventh in the points table and missed the opportunity to make the playoffs for the third successive year.

"You cannot classify yourself as a great coach until you win the IPL" - Justin Langer reveals Goenka's parting note during their meeting

Langer admitted being enticed by the challenge after Sanjiv Goenka mentioned how the addition of an IPL to the coaching resume would separate him from the rest.

"The last words he said to me were, 'Justin, I know you have had a very successful career, been a very good player, and you have had a very successful coaching career. But, let's face it, you cannot classify yourself as a great coach until you win the IPL," Langer said (10:40).

Sanjiv Goenka came under the scanner after his animated discussion with then-LSG captain KL Rahul after a brutal 10-wicket loss at the hands of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Langer, however, remarked how he has not felt the pressure by the management so far, with no involvement in team selection.

"There's perceptions about Mr.Goenka and IPL owners, I hear they want to be involved in selection, and in my experience, it has actually been the opposite. I have had zero stress from the Goenka family. We have great respect, and so far it has been a really nice partnership. I will never be able to say a bad word," the LSG head coach explained (11:50)

LSG have had a decent start to the season, winning three out of their first five matches. The Rishabh Pant-led side have had to battle an injury crisis to their seam bowling unit in the campaign's early stages, but their bench players stepped up for the team's cause.