The “paper note” celebration has found its first major backlash in IPL circles, and this time it’s coming from a former pace spearhead. Dale Steyn, the ex–South Africa fast bowler, took to X to react after Lucknow Super Giants seamer Akash Singh became the newest player to display a written slip during a recent triumph, a moment that quickly went viral against Chennai Super Kings.
Steyn’s post did not spell out Akash Singh’s name, but it arrived in close proximity to the LSG pacer’s widely shared celebration. “Time to put the papers away. It ain’t trending no more. Actually, to be honest, never really was,” Steyn wrote on X.
The criticism followed Akash’s on-field impact, when he produced a paper note during his three-wicket spell versus CSK. Across his four-over spell, he returned figures of 3/26 and later explained that the note served as an extra push for him as he went about his work. The slip carried the line: “Akki on fire – Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 game.”
It also wasn’t just a personal flourish on a low-key night. Akash’s celebration came at a time when Lucknow required early control after the ball was handed to them, and his bowling delivered exactly that. The left-arm pacer broke through the CSK batting and turned the moment into one of the most replayed images from the match.
How the paper-slip celebration became a season talking point
- The trend first gathered widespread attention after Abhishek Sharma used a note during his IPL 2025 century for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Punjab Kings.
- In that earlier instance, the message on the slip read: “This one is for Orange Army.”
- From there, other players adopted the same concept, using the paper note to match different emotions and motivations in their own way.
- MI’s Raghu Sharma then brought his version of the celebration after claiming his first-ever IPL wicket against LSG, marking the occasion with a written message he pulled from his pocket.
- Raghu dismissed Akshan Raghuwanshi and celebrated by turning that first wicket into a personal moment, punctuated by the note.
- CSK batter Urvil Patel joined the trend after reaching a 13-ball half-century versus LSG.
- Urvil’s slip read: “This is for you, Papa,” adding a family tribute element to one of the fastest fifties in IPL history.
- Akash Singh became the latest name to continue the tradition, and Steyn’s reaction has now reframed the discussion—from sentiment to a sense of getting tired of the gimmick.
Steyn’s stance suggests the gesture may have already lost the novelty that initially made it stand out, implying it may not have deserved the level of hype it received in the first place. His comment also underlines a broader tension around IPL celebrations: while many have been treated as harmless theatre, the paper notes have sometimes carried genuine feeling—tributes, motivation, and personal meaning.
But Steyn’s judgement was firm. He implied that the real product on the field—the wickets, the runs, and the performances—should remain the focus, while the written slips can be put aside. In his view, the paper note has become extra packaging around the cricket itself.
