Lucknow Super Giants bowler Digvesh Rathi found himself in hot water after pulling off a Kesrick Williams-style send-off on dismissing Punjab Kings opener Priyash Arya during their face-off in the IPL 2025 match on Tuesday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Not only did he face the umpire's wrath for his act, but he was also schooled by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
It happened in the third over of Punjab's innings after the visitors were set a target of 172. Rathi dished out a shorter delivery outside off as Arya, with whom he shared the dressing room in the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League last year, looked to take him on. He went for the pull shot, but lacked the footwork, which resulted in a top edge. Shardul Thakur comfortably grabbed it at mid-on as Punjab made an early breakthrough.
Rathi then ran up to a dejected Arya, who was returning to the dugout, and pulled off a notebook celebration quite similar to that of veteran West Indies bowler Williams. The on-field umpire immediately warned him as he shared a lengthy chat before resuming his over.
'We know what Kohli did...'
The act did not sit well with Gavaskar, who lashed out at the uncapped Indian, during commentary. He said: "I can understand the celebration if the wicket comes after the batsman hit a boundary or a six in the previous ball. As a bowler, you've got six deliveries. So if you got five dot balls and get a wicket of the sixth, then you do something like that, it's not understandable. But all these gestures mean that you don't expect to get a wicket. And now that you've got a wicket, you're trying to, you know, show off."
{{/usCountry}}The act did not sit well with Gavaskar, who lashed out at the uncapped Indian, during commentary. He said: "I can understand the celebration if the wicket comes after the batsman hit a boundary or a six in the previous ball. As a bowler, you've got six deliveries. So if you got five dot balls and get a wicket of the sixth, then you do something like that, it's not understandable. But all these gestures mean that you don't expect to get a wicket. And now that you've got a wicket, you're trying to, you know, show off."
{{/usCountry}}A fellow commentator was quick to remind that Williams had done something similar against Virat Kohli during a series against India in a series in 2017. Gavaskar immediately replied, "We know what Kohli did after that. He hit him for a boundary after boundary after boundary...(laughs)."
Given his action, which drew umpire's wrath, Rathi could face action from the BCCI for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. The match referee is likely to look into the matter after the end of the match.