NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi found himself in the spotlight again on Friday — not just for his bowling, but for his controversial send-off celebration after dismissing Mumbai Indians batter Naman Dhir at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
In the ninth over of MI’s 204 chase, Rathi clean bowled the in-form Dhir, who was threatening to take the game away with a blazing 46 off 24 balls. But it was what followed that raised eyebrows — a fierce send-off by Rathi that echoed his celebration from LSG’s previous match against Punjab Kings, for which he had already been fined 25% of his match fees and handed one demerit point by the IPL.
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Despite the prior punishment, Rathi repeated the gesture with no signs of restraint, unleashing the now ‘infamous’ paper celebration as Dhir walked off. The moment was quickly picked up by fans and is now sparking debate over whether further disciplinary action will follow.
The earlier IPL statement had cited a Level 1 breach under Article 2.5 (relating to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or could provoke an aggressive reaction”), and while Rathi had accepted the sanction, his actions on Friday suggest he isn’t backing down from his trademark aggression.
With two send-offs in two games, the league and match referee may have a bigger decision to make, as repeated breaches could lead to sterner consequences.
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