During the 61st match of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 19 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the spotlight shifted from the game to a heated on-field altercation between Abhishek Sharma and Digvesh Rathi.
The incident, marked by Rathi’s provocative celebration, not only fueled tensions but also led to significant repercussions for the LSG spinner, who has been slapped with a one-match suspension.
The confrontation erupted as SRH chased a challenging 206-run target set by LSG, powered by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 59 runs off just 20 balls. Digvesh Rathi, however, turned the tide by dismissing Abhishek with a deceptive googly, but his subsequent ‘notebook’ celebration, mimicking writing the batter’s name, ignited a fiery verbal exchange. The umpires quickly intervened to separate the players.
Digvesh Rathi Banned for One Match After Abhishek Sharma Spat
The on-field drama unfolded in the eighth over of SRH’s innings when Digvesh Rathi’s wide googly caught Abhishek Sharma off guard, leading to a catch by Shardul Thakur in the deep. Rathi’s animated celebration, which involved his signature ‘notebook’ gesture and a send-off directed at Abhishek, provoked an immediate reaction from the SRH batter.
The two engaged in a heated war of words before umpires stepped in to restore calm, with the incident quickly becoming a talking point across cricketing circles.
Rathi’s actions did not go unpunished. His ‘notebook’ celebration, already a source of controversy in IPL 2025, marked his third Level 1 offense under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct this season. Having previously accumulated three demerit points for similar breaches against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI), Rathi was handed two additional demerit points for the Abhishek incident, bringing his total to five.
As per IPL regulations, this resulted in a one-match suspension, meaning Rathi will miss LSG’s upcoming league-stage match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 22. Additionally, he was fined 50 per cent of his match fee, while Abhishek received a 25 percent match fee fine for his role in the altercation.
"This was his third Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 this season and hence, he has accumulated Two Demerit Points, in addition to Three Demerit Points he had accumulated earlier - One Demerit Point against Punjab Kings on April 01, 2025 and Two Demerit Points against Mumbai Indians on April 04, 2025," a BCCI media release read.
"As he now has Five Demerit Points this season - which result in a one-game suspension - Digvesh will now be suspended for LSG's next game - against Gujarat Titans on May 22, 2025 in Ahmedabad," it added.
Rajeev Shukla’s Peacemaking Resolves Tensions
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla played a pivotal role in calming the storm, stepping in post-match to mediate between Abhishek and Rathi. His intervention after the match helped defuse lingering animosity.
The match saw SRH secure a convincing six-wicket victory, with Abhishek’s rapid fifty, supported by Heinrich Klaasen’s 47-run knock, ensuring they chased down 206 runs in 18.2 overs.
With this defeat, LSG got knocked out of the IPL 2025 playoff race.
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