1 week Ago By Mid-day
Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi may have divided opinions with his unique notebook celebration, where he mimics the act of signing a notebook, after taking wickets, but his near and dear ones insist it’s a harmless gesture. Rathi was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and awarded one demerit point as per the IPL Code of Conduct’s Article 2.5 for Level 1 breaches for his first notebook celebration when he dismissed Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya.
Article 2.5 includes “any language, action or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean.”Rathi repeated his celebration against Mumbai Indians batter Naman Dhir and was handed a heavier fine of 50 per cent of his match fee and two more demerit points.
On Tuesday, he repeated his act after dismissing his idol, KKR’s Sunil Narine. This time though Rathi did not sign in the air, but bent down and mimicked the act of signing on the grass.Sachin ShuklaAccording to his coach, Sachin Shukla of Dronacharya Cricket Academy in Delhi, the gesture against Narine was not a taunt, but a gesture reflecting deep respect for the player he idolises.
“Digvesh bent down and theatrically signed the grass. It was more a symbolic autograph than a taunt, perhaps a gesture of respect. After all, Sunil Narine is his idol.
Digvesh’s notebook celebration just reflects his long-standing habit of recording his best performances, something he has been doing for years,” said Shukla.On Rathi’s celebration against Arya, where he approached the batter, Shukla said: “Yes, in that instance there was some contact with the batter, but it’s important to note that Priyansh Arya and Digvesh are good friends so there’s no question of any animosity there. Different players have different ways of celebrating.
As long as it doesn’t harm anyone, I don’t see an issue with it.”Rathi’s elder brother, Sunny, who serves as a constable, also weighed in on the matter. “After Digvesh’s first penalty, we urged him to tone it down, but he’s adamant.
He once told me, ‘If I stop celebrating in my style, I’ll lose my edge. I don’t want to become a defensive player.’ He sees himself as an aggressive bowler and insists that his celebrations reflect his mindset,” said Sunny.
Born into a modest family, Rathi’s story is one of resilience and ambition. His father, Dharmendra Singh, earns a livelihood working at construction sites, while his mother, Manju Devi, is a homemaker. Interestingly, reactions on social media suggest that the bowler has public support.
“Digvesh has been fined twice but that hasn’t stopped him. Such players make the sport enjoyable,” one online follower wrote on X. Clearly, for Rathi, every wicket is not just a statistic, but a story worth penning down, literally.
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