Sehwag Questions Fairness of Rathi’s Match Ban

Following Digvesh Rathi’s one-match ban action by the IPL, former cricketer Virender Sehwag has spoken out on the matter. He believes that Rathi’s ban was harsh, citing instances of the same from Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has slammed the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for its inconsistency. He blamed the board for treating players differently in punishments for breaching the Code of Conduct.

Sehwag made his comment after Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi was suspended for one match due to an altercation with Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek was slapped with a fine and demerit points.

‘Rathi could have been spared’

Sehwag stated that Rathi’s ban was harsh. He also said that there have been similar instances in the past involving big names like Kohli and Dhoni. But the BCCI never suspended them.

“I thought that the ban was a bit harsh. The boy is playing in his first year in the IPL. MS Dhoni had barged into the ground, he was not banned then. Virat Kohli has spoken to umpires in that tone, who knows how many times, he was also not banned. So, Digvesh Rathi could have been spared, because he is a young player, just coming into the scene, could have let that one go,” Sehwag said, speaking on Cricbuzz.

MS Dhoni entered the ground during a match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in 2019. He argued with the on-field umpire over a no-ball and got away with a 50% fine on his match fees. On the other hand, Kohli has been involved in many on-field arguments over the years. He was also never suspended.

Why did Kohli and Dhoni get away?

In his observation about Kohli and Dhoni, Sehwag missed one important point. Rathi was not suspended for the argument with Abhishek alone. He had already accumulated 3 demerit points on his account for breaching the Code of Conduct. The intense face-off with Abhishek was Rathi’s third offence, taking his tally to five demerit points.

Whereas, Kohli and Dhoni’s tally of demerit points never reached the point of suspension.

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