BCCI cracks down on LSG’s Digvesh Rathi for controversial send-off
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) punished Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler Digvesh Singh Rathi for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. During Tuesday’s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Ekana Stadium, he celebrated a wicket with an animated notebook gesture. BCCI fined him 25% of his match fees and issued one demerit point.
BCCI confirmed the penalty in a statement after the match. “Digvesh Singh, bowler, Lucknow Super Giants, has been fined 25% of his match fees and received one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Punjab Kings at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Tuesday,” it read. Digvesh admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 and accepted the match referee’s decision.
What Did Digvesh Do?
The incident occurred in the third over of PBKS’s chase. Digvesh bowled a short and wide delivery to Priyansh Arya, who attempted a pull shot but top-edged the ball. Shardul Thakur sprinted from mid-on and took a sharp catch. As Arya walked back after scoring 8 off 9 balls, Digvesh approached him and pretended to write his name in an imaginary notebook. Umpires immediately took note and warned him.
Fans and experts quickly recalled West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams, who made the notebook celebration famous. He used it after dismissing opposition batters, notably India’s then-captain Virat Kohli in 2019. Kohli later mocked Williams with the same gesture in the next match.
Gavaskar Criticizes Digvesh
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar disapproved of Digvesh’s celebration. “I understand celebrating a wicket after a boundary or six in the previous ball. But if a bowler bowls five dot balls and then takes a wicket, why act surprised? Such gestures suggest you don’t expect to take wickets,” he said during commentary.
Despite the controversy, Digvesh stood out in LSG’s poor bowling performance. He took two wickets for 30 runs in four overs, while other LSG bowlers struggled. PBKS easily chased the 173-run target in just 16.2 overs. Opener Prabhsimran Singh smashed 69 off 34 balls, and captain Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten with 52 off 30 balls.
PBKS Rises in the Standings
With this win, PBKS climbed to second place in the IPL 2025 points table. PBKS, RCB, and DC are tied at four points each after winning their first two matches. The tournament is heating up, and Digvesh’s actions have only added to the drama.
