Watch: Digvesh Rathi's ugly send-off to Priyansh Arya reignites epic Virat Kohli-Kesrick Williams face-off memories

Digvesh Rathi's ugly send-off to Priyansh Arya reignites epic Virat Kohli-Kesrick Williams face-off memories

Bowlers have a habit of celebrating wickets in their unique ways. Some scream in joy, some jump in the air and some like to taunt the batsmen while they are on their way to the pavilion. Chasing a 172-run target against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Punjab Kings (PBKS) lost Priyansh Arya to Digvesh Rathi in the third over.

Arya looked to play a pull shot without any footwork and got a top edge. Shardul Thakur moved across from mid-on and took a safe catch to complete the dismissal. As Arya was walking back to the dugout, Rathi walked up to the batter and gave him an ugly send-off, an act that was absolutely uncalled for. The bowler made a gesture of signing his name on a notebook.

Though Arya didn’t retaliate, the umpire immediately had a word with Rathi for his action, asking him to avoid doing it.

#DigveshRathi provides the breakthrough as #PriyanshArya heads back!P.S: Don't miss the celebration at the end!Watch LIVE action of #LSGvPBKS https://t.co/GLxHRDQajv#IPLOnJiostar | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! | #IndianPossibleLeague pic.twitter.com/TAhHDtXX8n
Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 1, 2025

The celebration reminded viewers of West Indies pacer Kesrick Williams, who had gained notoriety for a similar celebration involving Virat Kohli. When he was a regular for the Windies team, Williams would resort to a similar celebration as he would imitate to pull out a notebook, write the name of the batter he removed, and cross it off the list.

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During a limited-overs series in the Caribbean in 2017 the pacer did the same to Kohli, which proved to be a costly mistake on the bowler's part. The act didn't sit well with Kohli and when the West Indies team toured India in 2019 the modern day great did the same against Williams. Kohli then resorted to payback by celebrating in the exact manner after smashing 32 runs off the 12 deliveries he faced against Williams during a T20I.

Even former India legend Sunil Gavaskar, on air, recalled the incident between Kohli and Williams with a hearty laugh.

“[Kesrick] Williams had given me the notebook when he dismissed me in Jamaica [in 2017], so I remembered it from there. We gave each other a high-five later. Play hard but respect the opponent,” Virat Kohli had said at that time.