NEW DELHI: The IPL 2025 showdown between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) lit up with drama as tensions boiled over between spinner Digvesh Rathi and SRH opener Abhishek Sharma during the eighth over of a pulsating run chase.The flashpoint came when Rathi dismissed a blazing Abhishek, who had hammered 59 off just 20 balls in a ferocious assault on the LSG bowlers. Attempting to launch a wide googly over the off-side, Abhishek mistimed the shot and sliced it to sweeper cover, where Shardul Thakur held onto a sharp running catch.What should have been a moment of triumph quickly turned confrontational.Rathi, known for his flamboyant “book-sign” celebration, unleashed it once more after the crucial breakthrough. However, the gesture didn’t sit well with Abhishek. Visibly agitated, the southpaw exchanged heated words with Rathi, prompting the umpires and teammates to intervene and cool tempers.In a video that quickly went viral, Abhishek can be seen mouthing to Rathi while walking back to the pavilion: “Teri choti pakad ke marunga” — “I’ll grab your braid and beat you up.”At the time of the dismissal, SRH were flying high at 99 runs, seemingly on course to chase down LSG’s formidable 205-run total. Abhishek’s fiery innings, studded with four boundaries and six massive sixes, had given Hyderabad the perfect launchpad.

Earlier in the contest, Mitchell Marsh (65) and Aiden Markram (61) laid a solid foundation for LSG with explosive half-centuries. The innings stuttered in the middle overs after skipper Rishabh Pant’s departure for just 7, but Nicholas Pooran’s late fireworks — a 45-run blitz off 26 balls — propelled LSG past the 200-run mark.While the match had its fair share of fireworks, it was the Abhishek-Rathi spat that grabbed the spotlight. Fans flooded social media with reactions and clips, turning the heated exchange into one of the most talked-about moments of the IPL season.