Digvesh Singh Rathi given once-in-a-lifetime punishment by BCCI after Priyansh Arya send off

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has penalized Lucknow Super Giants bowler Digvesh Singh Rathi for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the match against Punjab Kings. Digvesh Singh was handed a 25% fine on his match fee and received one demerit point for his notebook celebration.

Punjab Kings secured an emphatic eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in the 13th match of the IPL 2025 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, April 1. This was the Shreyas Iyer-led team’s second consecutive win to begin their campaign on a high note.

Digvesh Singh Rathi Imitates Kesrick Williams' Notebook Celebration

LSG captain Rishabh Pant brought Digvesh Singh Rathi into the attack to bowl the third over of PBKS' innings. Rathi dismissed his Delhi teammate Priyansh Arya, who scored 8 off 9 balls. Arya, who smashed a boundary off Rathi’s first ball, mistimed a pull shot on a short delivery, and Shardul Thakur caught it.

Digvesh Singh Rathi sprinted toward Arya and performed the "notebook send-off," mimicking West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams' gesture. The spinner pretended to write Arya’s name in an imaginary book. However, the celebration caught the umpire’s attention and also sparked criticism from former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.

Watch a clip of the incident here:

#DigveshRathi provides the breakthrough as #PriyanshArya heads back!

P.S: Don't miss the celebration at the end! 👀✍🏻

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— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 1, 2025

Digvesh Singh Rathi Penalized for Inappropriate Gesture Towards Priyansh Arya

On Tuesday night, the IPL released an official statement confirming that the Lucknow Super Giants bowler was fined 25% of his match fee and received one demerit point for violating the IPL Code of Conduct. The statement further noted that Digvesh admitted to the violation and accepted the referee’s decision.

"Digvesh Singh, Bowler, Lucknow Super Giants has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and has also accumulated 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," BCCI said in a statement after the LSG vs PBKS match.

"Digvesh Singh admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 and accepted the Match Referee's sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding," the statement further added.

Also Read: Digvesh Rathi creates Kesrick Williams-Virat Kohli moment for Priyansh Arya; Sanjiv Goenka reacts

Digvesh Singh Rathi Lone Wicket-Taker for Lucknow Super Giants

Despite an early setback, Punjab Kings comfortably chased down the 172-run target, securing an eight-wicket win with 22 balls to spare. Prabhsimran Singh anchored the innings with a blistering 69 off 34 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 52 from 30 deliveries, sealing the victory with a six.

Digvesh Rathi was the only wicket-taker for LSG and also broke the 84-run stand between Prabhsimran and Iyer. However, Iyer and Nehal Wadhera put together an unbeaten 67-run partnership for the third wicket. Earlier, Lucknow posted 171/7, with Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni scoring crucial 40s.

Also read: Digvesh Rathi warns Ashutosh Sharma with 'Mankad' threat in DC vs LSG IPL 2025 clash