“You don’t expect to get a wicket” - Indian legend’s scathing attack on Digvesh Rathi after LSG vs PBKS IPL 2025 match

Former India player Sunil Gavaskar has slammed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Rathi for his over-the-top celebration after a wicket in the IPL 2025 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Lucknow on Tuesday, April 1. Chasing 172 for victory, PBKS got off to a quick start at 26/0 in the third over.

However, three balls after conceding a boundary to PBKS opener Priyansh Arya, Digvesh dismissed him (in the third over of the innings). The bowler immediately ran up to the departing Arya to perform a 'Notebook celebration' in his face to send him off.

Gavaskar, who was on air at the time, was unimpressed by Digvesh's act and said (via Hindustan Times):

"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."

Gavaskar was reminded by his fellow commentator of Kesrick Williams celebrating his wickets in a similar way. He sent off Virat Kohli similarly during the 2017 T20I series before the champion batter responded in the subsequent outing with the same celebration to Williams after his boundaries.

LSG suffer heavy defeat after Digvesh Rathi's celebratory send-off

Unfortunately for LSG, Digvesh Rathi's celebration after the first wicket was among their rare joyous moments in the second innings against PBKS.

After huffing and puffing their way to 171 in 20 overs, the LSG bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the PBKS batters. Led by a brilliant 34-ball 69 from opener Prabhsimran Singh, PBKS raced to their 100 in just the 10th over.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed his second consecutive half-century (52*) off only 30 balls as PBKS romped home by eight wickets with 22 balls to spare. Meanwhile, Digvesh was the lone wicket-taker for LSG, finishing with excellent figures of 2 for 30 in four overs.

The victory made it two out of two for PBKS to open their 2025 IPL campaign, while LSG suffered their second loss in three outings. The two teams will lock horns again in Dharamsala on May 4.