Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler Digvesh Rathi found himself at the center of controversy after imitating Kesrick Williams' signature send-off following the dismissal of Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya during their IPL 2025 clash on Tuesday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Rathi’s celebration not only drew the attention of the on-field umpires but also earned criticism from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
WATCH: Digvesh Rathi's Notebook Celebration After Dismissing Priyansh Arya
What Exactly Happened?
This happened in the third over of Punjab Kings' pursuit after being tasked with scoring 172. Rathi served a short-pitched ball outside off-stump, inviting his team-mate Arya in the first edition of the Delhi Premier League last season to pull it. Arya, however, pulled badly from poor footwork and lost top edge. Shardul Thakur took the catch at mid-on, providing LSG with an early breakthrough.
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Rathi Imitates Kesrick Williams Celebration
While Arya returned to the pavilion, Rathi walked up to him and did a "notebook celebration," much like the one that has been popularized by West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams. The umpire immediately stopped play, an on-field warning followed, along with a discussion of a minute before play got underway again.
Sunil Gavaskar Schools Digvesh Rathi
Sunil Gavaskar, who was on commentary at the time, was unimpressed with Rathi’s actions and criticized the young bowler for his conduct. A co-commentator mentioned that Williams had done something similar against Virat Kohli during a 2017 series against India, to which Gavaskar responded sharply.
Gavaskar On Rathi's Celebration
"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."
Digvesh Rathi Likely To Be Fined
With the incident and the intervention of the umpire, Rathi may be subjected to disciplinary action by the BCCI for having breached the IPL Code of Conduct. The matter will be seen by the match referee after the game, and more trouble could be in the pipeline for the uncapped Indian pacer.