Digvijesh Rathi Faces Suspension After IPL Incident

IPL 2025 Playoff Setback for Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants have suffered another significant blow after being eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoffs. Star spinner Digvijesh Rathi will miss the upcoming match against Gujarat Titans. While many might assume he is sidelined due to injury, the reality is different. Rathi has been handed a one-match suspension as a consequence of an altercation with Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma. In addition to the suspension, Rathi's match fee has been reduced by 50%, whereas Sharma's fee has been cut by only 25%. This disparity raises questions about the fairness of the penalties imposed by the BCCI.

Reasons Behind Rathi's Suspension

The question of why the BCCI imposed such a harsh penalty on Digvijesh Rathi is on the minds of many cricket fans. During the match held on May 19 at the Ekana Stadium, Rathi and Abhishek Sharma got into a heated exchange. However, the BCCI's decision to penalize only Rathi can be understood within the framework of their regulations.

This season, Rathi has been found guilty of breaching the IPL Code of Conduct under Level One for the third time. Previously, he received penalties during matches against Punjab Kings on April 1 and Mumbai Indians on April 4. For his first offense, he was assigned one demerit point, and for the second, he received two.

Following the confrontation with Sharma, Rathi accrued two additional demerit points, bringing his total to five. According to the rules, accumulating five demerit points results in a one-match suspension, which means he will miss the match against Gujarat Titans on May 22. In contrast, this was Sharma's first offense this season, resulting only in a deduction of his match fee. This raises further questions about the repeated sanctions faced by Rathi this season.

Why Does Rathi Keep Facing Penalties?

Digvijesh Rathi has now faced disciplinary action for the third time this season, primarily due to his 'notebook celebration.' Whenever he dismisses a player, he performs this celebration, which tends to irritate the dismissed player, often leading to disputes.

This was evident during the match on May 19. As Sharma was walking off after being dismissed, Rathi celebrated in his signature style, which escalated into a confrontation between the two players at the Ekana Stadium. Fortunately, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla intervened to mediate between them.