Digvesh Rathi's coach on ward's skirmishes in IPL 2025 - ‘No need to disrespect anyone'
Sunil Narine's influence on Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Digvesh Rathi is evident. In tucking his bowling hand behind his body, hiding the ball from the batter's view, Rathi emulates his idol, who he observed from close quarters when he was a net bowler with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) two seasons back.
'He'd admired Sunil Narine since he was a kid. Even his Facebook profile picture was Narine's. He was picked as net bowler by KKR. First, he was with Delhi Capitals, then KKR. That's when he closely observed Narine. That's when he started hiding the ball during his run up. His action was orthodox before that. He learnt a lot during that KKR stint,' says Sachin Shukla, Rathi's coach at the Dronacharya Cricket Academy in Delhi's Vivek Vihar.
However, Rathi's celebrations after picking a wicket differs vastly from his idol. Where Narine would offer a reticent, muted celebration, Rathi adds a bit of spice with his sign-off. His send-offs to his victims have brought him notoriety in the Indian Premier League 2025, and, now, a one-match suspension for being a three-time offender of the tournament's Code of Conduct.
'You are still new; you cannot talk like that to your seniors. That was wrong and I do not agree with that. You do not have to disrespect anyone,' says Shukla on his ward's skirmish with Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma, which eventually led to his punishment.
The intensity of a must-win clash! 🔥#DigveshRathi dismisses the dangerous #AbhishekSharma, & things get heated right after! 🗣️💢
Is this the breakthrough #LSG needed to turn things around? 🏏
Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/qihxZlIhqW#IPLRace2Playoffs 👉 #LSGvSRH |… pic.twitter.com/TG6LXWNiVa — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 19, 2025
He was fined 50 per cent match fee for the incident and suspended for LSG's contest against Gujarat Titans on Thursday.
Rathi, still just 25, has enjoyed a rapid change of fortune in the past year. He plied his wares in Delhi's local league cricket until he caught the eye of Sarandeep Singh, a former India international and Delhi state side's coach. Sarandeep was also coaching South Delhi Superstarz in the first edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL).
READ | Digvesh Rathi suspended for Gujarat Titans clash after heated exchange with Abhishek Sharma
'I had seen him in the league games in Delhi. So, I knew about him. At the auction table, we made the plan to go for him. He was different because he had never bowled much with the Kookaburra ball. He had not played at such a big level before this.
'The first few matches were not that good. He took some time to understand the situation – how to change your plan in different phases of the game. But he's a quick learner of the game. Within two or three games, he was at his best. He proved a match winner for us, and got a lot of wickets,' says Sarandeep.
A call up for Delhi, for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, came close on the heels of his returns of 14 wickets from 10 games in the DPL. He got just two games but those were enough to impress the IPL scouts who watched him play.
'He's very humble. He does not speak too much. He's just concerned about his game. He's not someone who will cause trouble. He's a very disciplined cricketer, and a great learner of the game. If someone suggests something, he will work on it. That's his best quality,' says Sarandeep.
Shukla too attests to Rathi's unrelenting work ethic. ' Digvesh Delhi ka ladka hai, zidd hai kuch karne ki. (Digvesh is a Delhi boy and has the stubbornness to achieve something). You barely find boys in Delhi who are this hard working. He was back in Delhi for two days when the tournament was suspended. You would find it hard to believe that he was with me from 1:30pm to 7:30pm on both days. Sirf ball daal raha tha (Bowling was the only thing he did). I said that there will be lots of kids wanting to meet you, that might trouble you in practice. He said, 'that's fine'. He met everyone from the academy that day. That's the kind of person he is,' says Shukla, who has been training Rathi since he was 16.
Rathi eased into the LSG side in just his first season. In 12 games so far, he's nabbed 14 wickets at an enviable economy rate of 8.18. His contributions have plugged the gap that might have troubled the side due to the dip in Ravi Bishnoi's form. The leg-spinner has been the Super Giants' strike bowler in the previous seasons and was retained for INR 11 crore for this cycle. However, he's picked just nine wickets this year and conceded at nearly 11 runs an over.
But the constant reprimands will go down as a blemish on an otherwise sprightly season for Rathi.
'When I saw it for the first time, even I was surprised. He has to be very careful, and it's not the first time. He has been fined before too. I think the team management needs to speak to him. Form aaj hai, kal nahi hogi (Form is temporary), ups and downs are an inevitable part but he should always be disciplined. I think he will learn, it's his first time,' says Sarandeep.
Shukla's advice is similar. He insists that Rathi should maintain his flair, but abide by the rulebook.
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