Digvesh Rathi's Notebook Celebration Costs Him Dearly: IPL Imposes Heavy Fine

Digvesh Rathi’s notebook celebration after dismissing Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya has resulted in a fine and demerit points for breaching IPL regulations.

Digvesh Rathi Fined for Notebook Celebration: Punjab Kings secured a resounding 8-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday in the 13th match of IPL 2025. This win propelled Punjab Kings to second place in the IPL 2025 points table with 4 points, while Lucknow Super Giants slipped to sixth position. Digvesh Rathi was LSG’s most successful bowler in the match, claiming two wickets. However, his celebration of his first wicket proved costly. His notebook celebration after dismissing Priyansh Arya violated the IPL’s code of conduct, resulting in a fine and demerit points.

Sunil Gavaskar Expresses Displeasure

Rathi’s notebook celebration after dismissing Punjab Kings opener Arya didn’t sit well with legendary Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box. He expressed his disapproval, stating that such a celebration would have been understandable if the wicket had fallen after a boundary in the previous ball. He questioned the celebration, saying, “If you bowl five dot balls and take a wicket on the last ball, then you do something like this, I don’t understand. This kind of gesture clearly shows that you didn’t expect the wicket, and you got it. Now you’re trying to show off.”

Umpire Issues Warning

This celebration is a favourite of West Indies bowler, Williams. He had performed a similar celebration after dismissing Virat Kohli, which went viral. Rathi’s actions mirror this, running to Arya and performing the notebook celebration beside him. The umpire engaged in a lengthy discussion with him and issued a warning.

Ekana mein pehli wicket – Check ✅pic.twitter.com/nrAf1pWf7W

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 1, 2025

25% of Match Fee Fined

For violating the IPL code of conduct with his celebration after dismissing Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya, Digvesh Rathi has been fined 25% of his match fee and given a demerit point.