Punjab Kings comfortably chased the target of 172 runs and defeated Lucknow Super Giants in the 13th match of IPL 2025. Although the match was pretty one-sided, there was one moment that raised a few heartbeats. The moment was LSG player Digvesh Rathi’s sendoff when he got Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya’s wicket.
The Punjab batter impressed everyone with his aggressive approach against Gujarat Titans. However, while chasing the target, he struggled against Digvesh Rathi’s brilliant spin bowling and was dismissed for just 8 runs off 9 balls. As he walked back to the pavilion, things heated up when the LSG bowler gave him a Kesrick Williams-style send-off celebration.
However, after his wicket, it was all Punjab Kings, as Prabhsimran Singh, captain Shreyas Iyer, and Nehal Wadhera ensured the team chased the target comfortably. Rathi did dismiss the PBKS opener, but it was too late. After Punjab’s victory, their players took revenge by recreating the spinner’s celebration from the stands.
The fans knew it was all in good spirits, as both players had been teammates in the Delhi Premier League. However, Rathee faced consequences, receiving a 25% match fee fine and one demerit point for his celebration. Needless to say, he will be more mindful of his emotions in the next game.
Sunil Gavaskar expressed his opinion on the controversy surrounding Digvesh Rathi and Priyansh Arya
The tussle between IPL debutants Digvesh Rathi and Priyansh Arya has sparked a major debate, especially among commentators like Sunil Gavaskar. He strongly opposed the LSG spinner’s celebration after taking a wicket.
Gavaskar criticized the viral moment, calling Digvesh Rathi’s celebration unnecessary and offensive. He voiced his disapproval both on social media and live television. During the commentary, he argued that batters never celebrate that way after hitting a boundary.
The Little Master stated that he would never celebrate like that after hitting a boundary off a bowler. When co-commentator Graeme Swann compared the incident to the Kesrick Williams-Virat Kohli rivalry, Gavaskar pointed out how that exchange ended—with Kohli’s brilliant batting and celebratory revenge overshadowing Williams.