The first ball Digvesh Singh Rathi bowled in the IPL turned. The second skidded on. By the third, Axar Patel was trapped in a web he hadn’t quite deciphered. One moment he was setting himself for a cut; the next, his stumps were in a mess.
A debut wicket. A statement made.
The Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) new mystery spinner had arrived.
From Delhi's dusty grounds to the IPL limelight
Rathi's journey to the IPL isn't a tale of overnight success. It’s one of persistence, built on performances in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2024, where he first made heads turn.
Playing for South Delhi Superstarz under the captaincy of Ayush Badoni, the 23-year-old leg-spinner snared 14 wickets in 10 matches.
He finished as the tournament’s fifth-highest wicket-taker, and was praised for keeping even established names like Rishabh Pant in check.
He wasn’t just a one-trick pony either. His ability to extract bounce, deceive with flight, and disguise his variations made him stand out. Sunil Narine-esque, some said.
By the end of DPL 2024, his name had entered the scouting notes of IPL franchises.
A low-key auction pick with high potential
At the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, LSG snapped him up for ₹30 lakh — a bargain in a year when teams splashed a combined Rs 639.15 crore on players. Rathi wasn’t the marquee buy.
He wasn’t even the headline act of LSG’s auction strategy. But among the unheralded names, he had whispers around him.
His selection wasn't just based on promise. His performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 — where he took 2/11 against Manipur in a historic match for Delhi—reinforced his ability to thrive under pressure.
The debut that mattered
Against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday, Rathi wasn't even supposed to be the story. The build-up revolved around KL Rahul missing out for personal reasons, LSG’s depleted pace attack (Rs 34.75 crore worth of pacers unavailable), and DC’s blockbuster Rs 27 crore signing Rishabh Pant.
But on the 7th over, an unassuming and composed Rathi, sent down a delivery that left Axar Patel stranded.
