Digvesh Rathi has the celebration of Kesrick Williams, the run-up of Sunil Narine, and the hair of Imran Tahir. During the Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) IPL 2025 games, that has been the constant joke. But more significantly, the secret spinner has demonstrated that he is capable of competing with the best.
Rathi helped his team defend 203 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Lucknow on Friday night, when all other LSG bowlers had economy rates of 10.00 or above. Rathi took 1 for 21 from his four overs. He has only gone for more than eight an over once in his first four games. He has taken six wickets at an economy rate of 7.62 overall.
After winning Player of the Match versus MI, Rathi remarked, “Watching Sunil Narine bowl made me fall in love with bowling.” “I like to attack the batsmen and get them out with my bowling approach. Like Sunil Narine, I want to be even more aggressive. I want to maintain my composure under pressure the way he does.
Controlling his length is the secret to Rathi’s enigma. Of the 96 deliveries he has bowled in the competition thus far, 80 have been on fair length or slightly short of it, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs. He has been full 13 times and has bowled a short ball just three times. He has only given up 95 runs in the 80 occasions he has been on a good length or barely short.
He bowled five full deliveries, 19 good-length or short-of-good-length deliveries, and not a single short, hit-me delivery against MI on a black-soil surface. The payoff for this was the wicket of Naman Dhir. Rathi’s carrom ball ended up inside-edging Dhir’s stumps after he had rushed to 46 from 24 balls.
“He [Rathi] was using the surface really well, bowling into the surface,” Sanjay Bangar stated on the TimeOut program on ESPNcricinfo. “In the longer term, he didn’t really try anything. Strength has been that.
Alongside his skill set, he also has a wonderful temperament. He’s not merely aiming towards the goal. He might raise some doubts among the batsmen that he would likely remove it as well. Overall, the LSG management has done a fantastic job.
Rathi was observed in the Delhi Premier League, where he scored 14 runs at an economy rate of 7.83 in ten games, good for fourth place on the list of wicket-takers. He was purchased by LSG for INR 30 lakh at the IPL mega auction last year. During the preseason practice games, he made an even greater impression on the team management.
Justin Langer praised Rathi’s “unbelievable work ethic” after the MI game.
Langer remarked, “I thought Digvesh bowled very, very well,” “He will continue to learn. Although he is relatively new to the game, I will tell you what he enjoys doing: bowling, just like all the great spinners. If he had the ability to bowl for 16 hours every day, he would. He most likely bowls in the hotel hallway. He bowls in the shower, at breakfast, and all over the place. He simply enjoys bowling, and his years of practice are paying off. His practice is beginning to pay off now that he is in the major leagues.
On Tuesday, LSG will play the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata. Rathi will be up against his idol as a result.
According to Langer, “It’s going to be very interesting,” “He idolises both of Kolkata’s spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Narine, so I’m excited to witness this. Observe him running into the bowl; what does he look like? You mean Sunil Narine?
Additionally, he always has something unique. I believe he has a bright future since he gives the game and how he will defeat the opposition a lot of thought.
However, there is one issue. Rathi was punished for touching Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) Priyansh Arya after he removed the batter and pulled out the notebook celebration following LSG’s last game. After the MI game, he was fined once more, although this time there was merely a celebration and no physical contact. As of right now, he has three demerit points. A one-match suspension will result from one more demerit point.
The game needed these kinds of players, according to Shardul Thakur, who bowled a vital 19th over against MI. However, that was prior to the announcement of the most recent fine.
“He is a phenomenal bowler and a bit of character as well,” Thakur stated. “In the game, we need that. Characters who aren’t scared to express themselves and will deliver for the team are what we need. I think his greatest strength is the way he always expresses himself.
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