Lucknow Super Giant’s (LSG) Digvesh Singh Rathi was fined for an IPL Code of Conduct breach after his fiery send-off to Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya, in LSG vs PBKS IPL 2025 match on Tuesday (April 1). PBKS won the match by eight wickets after they chased the target of 172 runs in just 16.2 overs.
Digvesh Rathi’s celebration
During the game, Digvesh Singh Rathi tried to repeat Virat Kohli’s iconic “notebook celebration.” During the third over of PBKS’s innings, opening batter Priyansh Arya misjudged a shot off Rathi’s bowling, sending the ball skyward. Shardul Thakur took an easy catch, handing Lucknow Super Giants their first breakthrough. After the dismissal, Rathi charged towards Priyansh and mimicked Kohli’s famous gesture—pretending to open an imaginary notebook, “writing” the batter’s name, and ticking it off -signifying another scalp in his tally. However, the umpire intervened after that for a brief chat.
Penalty
Rathi was fined 25 percent of his match fees and also received a demerit point added to his tally.
“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,” a release by IPL stated.
Punjab Kings’ took it to their social media handle after their win and mocked Digvesh’s celebration.
Virat Kohli’s celebration
Virat Kohli’s celebration, which Rathi emulated was from the 2019 T20I against West Indies. After smashing a six off Kesrick Williams, who had taunted him with a similar gesture in 2017 after taking his wicket, Kohli dramatically “wrote” in his imaginary notebook, ticked it off, and stared down his rival. Scoring an unbeaten 94, he turned provocation into triumph, later explaining it as a playful gesture. Rathi’s version carried the same intensity, blending youthful aggression with theatricality.
PBKS’ Shreyas Iyer after the match
“It is the start that is required. The boys played their role really well. Every individual contributed to the best of their ability and whatever was discussed in the team meeting, we implemented really well. To be honest, there’s no right combination. Just that the camaraderie and synergy has to click at the right time. I feel all teams have the right potential to go out there and win the game,” Shreyas said after winning a second consecutive game of the season.
LSG’s Rishabh Pant after the match
“The score wasn’t enough, we were 20-25 runs short, but that’s part and parcel of the game. Still assessing the conditions at our home ground. It’s always going to be difficult to get a big total when you lose early wickets, but each and every player is trying hard to take the game forward. The idea was to get a slow wicket. I think the slower balls were sticking in. We got to learn from this game and move forward. There are a lot of positives, can’t say much,” Rishabh Pant said on their loss at the home ground.
