IPL 2025: LSG's Digvesh Singh Rathi fined 25% match fees for 'letter-writing' send-off to PBKS' Priyansh Arya
LSG spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi was fined 25% of his match fees and handed a demerit point for his 'letter-writing' celebration after dismissing PBKS batter Priyansh Arya.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi has been fined 25 percent of his match fees and handed a demerit point for his unusual 'letter-writing' celebration after dismissing Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Priyansh Arya during their IPL 2025 clash at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) penalized Rathi for "breaching the IPL Code of Conduct," according to an IPL media advisory. PBKS won the match convincingly by eight wickets.
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"Digvesh Singh admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 and accepted the Match Referee's sanction," the advisory stated.
"For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding."
THE CELEBRATIONS OF DIGVESH SINGH RATHI WHEN HE GETS PRIYANSHU. pic.twitter.com/UHISWeDwfl
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh)THE CELEBRATIONS OF DIGVESH RATHI. 😀
- Best Celebrations of IPL 2025..!!!! 🔥pic.twitter.com/m5yvU5UETq
Also read: IPL 2025: PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer lauds team's execution after dominant win over LSG
The incident occurred on the penultimate ball of the third over during PBKS’ chase of 172. Rathi bowled a short and wide delivery, which Arya attempted to pull without much foot movement, resulting in a top-edge. Shardul Thakur sprinted from mid-on to complete a running catch.
As Arya, his teammate from the Delhi T20 League, walked back after scoring eight off nine balls, Rathi mimicked writing a letter—an act seemingly directed at Arya. The umpires took note of the gesture and had a word with the bowler.
The celebration drew immediate comparisons to West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams' 'notebook' celebration, which became famous during a 2019 bilateral series against India, particularly in his exchanges with Virat Kohli.
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar and former India batter Mohammed Kaif, who were in the commentary box, criticized Rathi’s actions.
Despite the controversy, Rathi was the standout bowler for LSG, picking up 2/30 in his four overs. However, the rest of the LSG bowling unit struggled as PBKS chased down the 173-run target in just 16.2 overs.
The win propelled PBKS to second place in the IPL 2025 points table. PBKS, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Delhi Capitals (DC) all have four points each after winning their first two matches.
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