The Lucknow Super Giants included Delhi spinner Digvesh Rathi in their starting XI for their tournament opener of IPL 2025, against the Delhi Capitals.
The Lucknow Super Giants missed several frontline Indian fast bowlers – Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep – for their IPL 2025 opener, against the Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam. For the game, they picked not one but two leg-spinners – the senior Ravi Bishnoi as well as the uncapped Rathi.
In the process, they left out the all-rounders – Yuvraj Chaudhary, Arshin Kulkarni, Rajvardhan Hangargekar – as well as left-arm spinner M Siddharth, though any of them can come on as the Impact Player.
Match 4, Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants
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IPL 2025: Who is Digvesh Rathi?
Rathi rose to fame after his stint with the South Delhi Superstarz in the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League, across August and September 2025. He finished the tournament with 4-0-31-1 in the final, but his team lost by three runs against the East Delhi Riders. He finished the league with 14 wickets, the fourth-most in the tournament, at only 21.71, while going for 7.83 an over.
Predominantly a leg-spinner, Rathi disguises the ball as he runs in to bowl, not revealing until very late which direction the ball would turn. It is a skill he has, by his own admission, honed over time.
At the Superstarz, Rathi was mentored by the team director, former Indian Test cricketer Sarandeep Singh. While backing and encouraging Rathi, Sarandeep advised him to focus on the basics of maintaining a good line and length. He also interacted with his captain Ayush Badoni, who will play alongside him at the LSG.
In November 2024, Rathi returned 3-1-8-2 on his domestic cricket debut, for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. A week later, he had 4-1-11-1 against Arunachal Pradesh, but is yet to play again.
