Digvesh Rathi, the longhaired Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mystery spinner, is the toast of IPL-2025, having caught everyone’s attention with his frugal spells and crucial wickets. Having been penalised twice for his extravagant ‘notebook’ celebration, Rathi hopes he can script a memorable season for himself and the franchise.
Excerpts from an exclusive interview…
What inspired you to take up leg-spin? I was a batsman initially, but there were very few opportunities. After batting, I would warm up or bowl to senior batsmen, and I learned a lot by watching Sunil Narine’s bowling (as a net bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024). I tried those techniques in the nets and learned everything new from there.

Where did you learn the basics? I never learned the basics. No one taught me. I didn’t do basic bowling! I liked doing ‘mystery bowling’ because it was new to the world, I enjoyed bowling and watching it. I used to bat, but when I bowled in the nets, I found great joy in beating batsmen with mystery balls. I played at a complex in Dilshad Garden (in Delhi), where a senior teammmate, Robin Bisht, told me to focus on bowling. He told me I was meant to be a bowler, not a batsman. That’s when I started. Regarding mystery bowling, if you ask anyone, they’ll likely say they don’t know much about it. Mystery spinners often discuss things among themselves. I spoke to Mujeeb ur Rehman during the Mumbai Indians match, and he thinks the same way I do. Last year, when I was a net bowler for KKR, I spoke to Varun Chakravarthy, and he thinks similarly. I believe all mystery spinners think this way.

Are you happy coaches did not try to change your unique bowling action? No one motivated me. Everyone said this ‘mystery’ spin wouldn’t work, that I should give it up and just do regular spin, and that I should play in the Ranji Trophy. All my coaches said I should bowl offspin, but I didn’t like off-spin at all. Cricket in Delhi is so fast-paced that if you bowl offspin, you can only bowl 2-3 overs at the most. After that, batsmen just target the offspinner and try to hit sixes, regardless of the ground size or pitch conditions.

Has the Delhi Premier League (DPL) been important in your development and in attracting IPL talent hunters? Yes, not just for me but for all the cricketers in Delhi. Many cricketers play very well, and for them, the DPL is a big platform. If they’re not able to play domestic cricket for Delhi for some reason, they can perform well in the DPL and also catch the attention of IPL franchises. I took 14 wickets in the DPL. I felt I should have taken more.
How did it feel it to dismiss your idol Sunil Narine? It was an extremely special moment in my life. I was supposed to bowl in the Powerplay, but in that match, I didn’t get the opportunity. I had prepared a strategic setup for Narine because he bats exceptionally well. My plan was to get him out in the Powerplay, but when I didn’t get to bowl in that period, I felt it would be easier to dismiss him later, when the field was open. I really admire his bowling, although he is also a good batsman.
You celebrated aggressively when you took Punjab Kings batter Priyansh Arya’s wicket… I knew if I bowled to him the way I usually do, I would not be able to get him out. That’s why, a day before, I spent an hour on the ground with (LSG) coach Justin Langer and Vijay Dahiya sir, and I developed a new variation because I knew Priyansh would read my googly. He is a talented player. I decided one ball would move away, and another would be a googly. That’s how I got him out.
How do you think success in the IPL will change your career? I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I love learning new things. I enjoy living in the moment. I don’t even like watching past matches. I don’t look back or find watching my own bowling appealing. I don’t enjoy social media. I just want to perform well for my team.