Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler Digvesh Rathi has been suspended by the BCCI from his team’s final group game against Gujarat Titans on 22 May, after breaching the Code of Conduct during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
During the LSG vs SRH clash at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on 19 May, Rathi dismissed opener Abhishek Sharma during the eighth over. Following this, he pulled out his trademark ‘notebook’ celebration, which did not sit well with the SRH batter, resulting in an on-field confrontation requiring intervention from the umpires and teammates.
As a result, the BCCI has fined Digvesh Rathi 50% of his match fees, as this is the third time that the spinner has been sanctioned for his controversial celebration. Previously, Rathi has been given similar fines against Punjab Kings on 1 April and Mumbai Indians on 4 April.
As this is his third Level 1 offence under the IPL Code of Conduct Article 2.5, Rathi has accumulated a total of five demerit points, resulting in a one-match suspension.
The other party in the controversy, Abhishek Sharma, has also been fined 25% of his match fee for his on-field actions, during which he reportedly threatened the bowler. As this is the batter’s first Level 1 offence, he has received one demerit point.
Digvesh Rathi’s insistence on continuing with the notebook celebration despite drawing the ire of opponents and the BCCI has been controversial. While the regulatory body has fined him three times, experts like Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull have said that the bowler is being unfairly targeted by the BCCI for a harmless gesture.
