BCCI Slaps 25% Match Fee Fine on GT Pacer Ishant Sharma for Code of Conduct Breach

It’s been a tough start to IPL 2025 for Ishant Sharma, and things just got a little worse. The Gujarat Titans pacer has been fined 25% of his match fees and handed a demerit point for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct during their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.

Ishant, who’s yet to pick up a wicket in the tournament, has now gone for 97 runs in his three games so far. His latest outing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad wasn’t one to remember either — 4 overs, 53 runs, no wickets. And now, on top of the expensive spell, the BCCI came down hard on him the very next day. "Ishant admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.2 and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction. For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision is final and binding," said the official IPL release. 

So, what exactly is Article 2.2? It’s the part of the code that deals with “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match.” Basically, any moment of frustration — like smashing a bat, kicking a boundary rope, or flinging a helmet — can land a player in trouble. While the IPL hasn’t revealed the exact incident, it seems it was one of those heated reactions. 

Despite Ishant’s rough day, GT had no trouble sealing the win. They restricted SRH to 152 for 8 in the first innings and made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 16.4 overs with seven wickets in hand. Still, for Ishant, it's a bit of a double blow — a forgettable performance on the field and a fine off it. He’ll be hoping to turn things around quickly as the tournament progresses. 

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