LSG’s spinner, Digvesh Rathi, has once again violated the IPL’s Code of Conduct this season. This latest offense occurred during LSG’s match against SRH at their home ground, after Rathi dismissed Abhishek Sharma. As a result, he will be suspended for one game and fined 50% of his match fee.
During the eighth over of the chase, Rathi caused an incident by dismissing Abhishek. He then gave the batter a wave and made an entry in his “notebook,” leading to a verbal exchange that required umpire Michael Gough’s interference. This has resulted in Rathi accumulating five demerit points for the season and subsequently being suspended, which means he will not be able to participate in LSG’s upcoming game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday.
Rathi has accumulated five demerit points this season, all of which fall under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct. This particular article states that four demerit points equate to one suspension point, requiring players to miss one match once this limit is reached. It’s worth noting that these demerit points remain on a player’s record for 36 months, meaning Rathi must exercise caution in future seasons as well. If he were to reach eight demerit points, he would face a two-game suspension, and if he reached 11 demerit points, it would result in a three-game suspension.
Previously, Rathi received one demerit point for his actions towards PBKS’ Priyansh Arya on April 1 and two demerit points for his celebration aimed at Mumbai Indians’ Naman Dhir on April 4, both involving his “notebook” send off. Following his incident with PBKS, Rathi was informed by match officials about the reason for his penalty. In the subsequent incident with MI, he believed that he was being punished for charging towards the batter.
Abhishek received a 25% fine for his role in the incident, marking his first infraction of the season. Despite the intensity of the moment during the game, both players seemed to be in better moods afterwards. They shook hands and were seen joking around while catching up with their respective teams after SRH’s six-wicket victory with ten balls remaining.
Rathi’s absence will surely be felt by LSG in their upcoming match against top-ranked GT. With 14 wickets under his belt, he has been the leading wicket-taker for LSG in what has been a difficult season for their bowlers. However, fans can find solace in the fact that he will return for LSG’s last league game on May 27 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).