The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly directed the umpires in the ongoing IPL 2025 to be a little more relaxed when it comes to punishing players for their celebrations on the field. This decision was made during a recent weekly review meeting with the IPL umpires.
The BCCI asked the match officials to be more lenient after they received heavy criticism over the fines given to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Digvesh Rathi for his famous ‘notebook’ celebration after taking wickets in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Digvesh Rathi fined twice for his notebook celebration in the IPL 2025
Rathi, playing in his debut IPL season, has done well so far, picking up 9 wickets in 7 matches. However, the LSG spinner was fined twice this season — once during the match against Punjab Kings when he dismissed Priyansh Arya, and then against Mumbai Indians after getting Naman Dhir out.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Read Also: Dewald Brevis joining CSK? South African drops a bombshell amid IPL 2025
He was handed a fine of 50% of his match fees by the umpires, which drew a lot of negative reactions from fans, cricket experts, and former cricketers. Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull publicly questioned the decision.
Doull even pointed out why stricter actions aren’t taken against senior Indian players for worse behavior, while Gavaskar criticized BCCI’s call to fine Rathi for his viral notebook celebration, as he was bought for just INR 30 lakh at the auction by the Lucknow Super Giants.
BCCI orders IPL umpires to go easy on player celebrations after Digvesh Rathi fine row
Many believed that the young player deserved encouragement, not fines, for adding fun to the game. The social media uproar forced the BCCI to instruct the umpires to go easy on player celebrations moving forward in the ongoing IPL 2025.
A Cricbuzz report reads, “The umpires have also been asked to go a bit more lenient on player celebration following the flak they received for penalizing Lucknow Super Giants’ Digvesh Rathi twice this season for his ‘noteboo’k.”
With the BCCI now asking umpires to ease up on player celebrations, cricketers will likely feel more comfortable expressing themselves on the field in the ongoing tournament. Rathi will be next seen in action on April 19 when LSG will face Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Read Also: Ishan Kishan fails Yo-Yo Test before BCCI Central Contracts; kicked out of India
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel to earn Grade A contracts as BCCI set to announce list soon
Meanwhile, BCCI is likely to announce the fresh central contracts for the 2025-26 season by the end of this week. According to reports, there could be some exciting changes this time. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are expected to be promoted from Grade B to Grade A.
Both Axar and Kuldeep, who are currently playing for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, have been in excellent form, playing key roles in India’s recent triumphs at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
On the other hand, India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, who was left out of the central contract list last season, is likely to make a comeback to the annual contracts. Senior cricketers Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to retain their Grade A contracts.