Digvesh Rathi's notebook celebration for Abhishek Sharma sparks fire: Netizens say, 'This is not a small mistake'

Abhishek Sharma and Digvesh Rathi’s on-field spat added intense drama to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday (May 19). In the match played at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, Rathi, LSG spinner dismissed SRH’s Sharma and sparked a firestorm with his provocative send-off.

The notebook celebration resulted in Abhishek Sharma's confrontation, which required intervention and made Netizens on social media give their take on the situation.

Digvesh Rathi’s celebration

The incident unfolded in the eighth over when Digvesh Rathi dismissed Abhishek Sharma with a googly, caught by Shardul Thakur at the boundary. Rathi’s celebration - a “notebook” gesture, signaling Sharma to leave was seen as provocative. Sharma who batted brilliantly and just having finished an explosive innings (59 off 20 balls), didn’t hold back.

He confronted Rathi in a heated verbal exchange. The intensity escalated until umpires, alongside LSG’s William O’Rourke and Rishabh Pant, intervened to defuse the situation. The clash, captured on video, went viral.

Netizens react

Fans on social media gave different reactions. On X, some fans appreciated Sharma’s fiery response. Others criticized Rathi’s gesture while his supporters defended it as a competitive spirit.

BCCI Vice President steps in

As the intensity of the altercation increased, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla stepped in to address the escalating tensions. Shukla met with both teams’ management post-match, urging restraint and emphasizing the IPL’s commitment to fair play.

Post-Match reconciliation

Despite the on-field drama, Sharma and Rathi were seen sharing a brief handshake post-match, signaling a potential cooling of tensions.

Abhishek Sharma after the match

Abhishek Sharma who won the Player of the Match with his match-winning innings spoke about the reconciliation with Digvesh Rathi after the game. "I spoke to him after the game and it is all good now," he said.

"If we batted first, I might have had other plans but chasing such a total we had a clear plan. If you ask any player who has been doing well for the team, chasing 200 plus something you should be able to win the powerplay," Abhishek also gave insights on his approach during the game.

"I wanted to express myself and if I do well, I know the team is gonna do well as well. It was the same plan I had in international cricket as well. Just express myself and knock it around," the star SRH opener concluded.