Social media can’t stop talking about the fiery showdown between Digvesh Rathi and Abhishek Sharma during the IPL clash between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday night. What started as a thrilling, high-stakes match quickly turned into a talking point for all the wrong reasons after a heated exchange erupted between the two players — one that has now led to disciplinary action from the BCCI.
The flashpoint came in the eighth over of SRH’s innings, when LSG's Digvesh dismissed the in-form Abhishek Sharma, who had just blasted a 20-ball 59, lighting up the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow with six sixes and four boundaries. Digvesh celebrated with his usual controversial ‘notebook’ gesture, which visibly irked Abhishek. Tempers flared as the SRH opener charged towards the bowler, leading to an on-field confrontation that required umpires to intervene.
{{/usCountry}}The flashpoint came in the eighth over of SRH’s innings, when LSG's Digvesh dismissed the in-form Abhishek Sharma, who had just blasted a 20-ball 59, lighting up the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow with six sixes and four boundaries. Digvesh celebrated with his usual controversial ‘notebook’ gesture, which visibly irked Abhishek. Tempers flared as the SRH opener charged towards the bowler, leading to an on-field confrontation that required umpires to intervene.
{{/usCountry}}But the tension didn’t end there. The duo exchanged words again during the post-match handshake, prompting LSG coach Vijay Dahiya to step in. Even BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla was seen playing peacemaker after the game, speaking to both players to defuse the situation.
As the match wrapped up, social media went into overdrive. Memes flooded X and Instagram, poking fun at both players — Abhishek for losing his cool, and Digvesh for what many called an “overused” celebration.
In the aftermath, the BCCI cracked the whip. Digvesh, who has now breached the IPL Code of Conduct thrice this season, was handed a one-match suspension and fined 50% of his match fee. Monday’s incident added two more demerit points to his record, taking his tally to five — the result of repeated offences related to his celebratory actions. Abhishek wasn’t spared either. The aggressive response and on-field altercation cost him 25% of his match fee and one demerit point.
Meanwhile, SRH chased down the 206-run target in 18.2 overs, knocking LSG out of the playoff race. Contributions from Heinrich Klaasen (47), Kamindu Mendis (32*), and a calm finish by Nitish Kumar Reddy and Aniket Verma sealed the win. SRH's win ensured LSG would not qualify for the IPL Playoffs this season.