Lucknow Supergiants Spinner Digvesh Rathi Suspended After On-Field Altercation with Abhishek Sharma

Lucknow Supergiants’ star spinner Digvesh Rathi has been handed a one-match suspension and fined 50% of his match fee after a controversial incident during their IPL 18 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The suspension comes after Rathi was involved in an on-field altercation with SRH batter Abhishek Sharma, following a wicket dismissal. Rathi's suspension means he will miss the upcoming Lucknow-Gujarat match.

What Happened?

The incident occurred during the match between Lucknow and Hyderabad on May 19 at the Ekana Stadium. SRH’s Abhishek Sharma played aggressively, completing his half-century in just 18 balls. In the process, he was dismissed by Rathi. As Sharma walked off the field, Rathi performed his trademark ‘notebook’ celebration, which provoked Sharma.

This led to a heated exchange between the two players, and both charged at each other. The umpires and players had to intervene and separate them. As a result, Rathi was penalized under the IPL Code of Conduct for breaching on-field conduct rules.

Consequences for Rathi

This is Rathi's third violation of the IPL Code of Conduct this season. For his earlier offences, he had already accumulated three demerit points. After the altercation with Sharma, he received two more demerit points, totaling five points. According to IPL rules, players who accumulate four or more demerit points face a one-match suspension. Consequently, Rathi has been suspended for the upcoming match against Gujarat Titans.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma was fined 25% of his match fee for his role in the altercation. The incident has sparked mixed reactions from fans, with some feeling that Rathi’s suspension is too harsh, while others believe his overreaction warranted the penalty.