Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Rathi has been suspended for the team’s final league-stage match after accumulating five demerit points for repeated breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct. The suspension follows an on-field tussle with Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday.
According to the tournament organizers, Rathi committed a Level 1 offence for the third time this season, resulting in a total of five demerit points. This includes two points from the recent incident and three points from earlier violations — one point against Punjab Kings on April 1, 2025, and two points against Mumbai Indians on April 4, 2025. As per IPL rules, accumulating five demerit points leads to an automatic one-match suspension.
LSG’s next game, against the Gujarat Titans on May 22, 2025, in Ahmedabad, will be played without Rathi.
Details of the Incident
The conflict arose after Rathi dismissed Abhishek Sharma and celebrated with his signature send-off gesture. Abhishek appeared visibly upset, eyeing Rathi as he walked away, then stopped and confronted him. Umpires and LSG players had to intervene to separate the two before the situation escalated further.
Abhishek Sharma was also fined 25% of his match fees for his first Code of Conduct violation this season.
After the match, which SRH won by six wickets to eliminate LSG from playoff contention, the two players reportedly spoke and cleared the air during the customary handshake. Abhishek told the broadcaster JioHotstar, “We spoke after the game, it’s all good now.”
Digvesh Rathi’s Celebrations Under Scrutiny
Rathi’s celebrations have drawn attention multiple times this season. After early warnings from match referees about his signature notebook signing, he switched to signing off dismissals on the ground instead.
In an interview, Digvesh’s brother Sunny explained that the celebrations help motivate the spinner.
“He told me it motivates him. I said, ‘okay, if that helps you play better, fine, but don’t disrespect any player.’ He’s not doing it to attract attention,” Sunny said, adding that Digvesh was not active on social media until recently.
With 14 wickets, Rathi currently leads among all uncapped spinners in this IPL season.
