Why IPL officials suspended Digvesh Rathi for the next match: Demerit points explained

Lucknow Super Giants’ spinner Digvesh Rathi has been officially suspended for his team’s upcoming IPL 2025 match against Gujarat Titans, following a string of Code of Conduct violations that triggered the league’s demerit points system.

Rathi was found guilty of committing a Level 1 offence for the third time this season during the heated clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 20. The latest infraction came after he dismissed SRH opener Abhishek Sharma and celebrated with a provocative send-off that led to a verbal altercation between the two players.

As per the IPL’s Code of Conduct, Level 1 offences carry demerit points. Here’s how Rathi accumulated his five points:

1 point: For an incident against Punjab Kings on April 1
2 points: For another breach against Mumbai Indians on April 4
2 points: For the latest breach against SRH on May 20

Once a player accumulates five demerit points in a single seasonit automatically triggers a one-match suspension. As a result, Rathi is now barred from playing the final league match against Gujarat Titans on May 22.

Additionally, Rathi was fined 50% of his match fees, while Abhishek Sharma, for his reaction in the same incident, was penalized 25% of his match fees.

While both players were seen shaking hands after the game, IPL match officials followed protocol and enforced penalties based on the number of accumulated infractions. Rathi’s case serves as a reminder of the league’s strict conduct policies and the consequences of repeated behavioural lapses.