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NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants’ young spinner Digvesh Rathi has found himself in the spotlight this IPL season — not just for his performances, but for his controversial “notebook” celebration, which has landed him in disciplinary trouble for the second time in just a few days.
Rathi first drew attention during LSG’s match against Punjab Kings last Tuesday.
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After dismissing opener Priyansh Arya, a player he’s familiar with from the Delhi Premier League, Rathi celebrated by mimicking the act of writing in a notebook — a gesture that was deemed provocative by the match officials.
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Though playful in intent, the act was seen as unsportsmanlike.
He was fined 25% of his match fee, which comes to Rs 1,87,500 (given the standard IPL 2025 match fee of Rs 7.5 lakh), and received one demerit point.
However, the spinner didn’t back down.
Just four days later, during a high-stakes clash against the Mumbai Indians at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Rathi repeated the celebration after dismissing Naman Dhir.
This time, the reaction from the IPL disciplinary committee was even stronger.
Rathi was fined 50% of his match fee: a hefty Rs 3,75,000, and was handed a second Level 1 offence charge under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct, bringing his total demerit points to three for the season.
Altogether, Digvesh Rathi has now been fined Rs 5,62,500 for his two celebration-related offences.
While celebrations are part of the thrill of T20 cricket, the league has made it clear that players must maintain respect for opponents and the spirit of the game.
The incidents have sparked debate among fans and experts alike about where to draw the line between expression and provocation.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
