IPL 2025: Ishant Fined After GT’s Win Over SRH

It was a tale of two pacers for Gujarat Titans on Sunday night at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. While Mohammed Siraj dazzled with a fiery 4 for 17 to sink Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ishant Sharma’s outing went from bad to worse. The veteran seamer leaked 53 runs in four wicketless overs, and just when he thought the day couldn’t get uglier, the BCCI slapped him with a 25% match fee fine and a demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during GT’s seven-wicket thrashing of SRH.

Ishant’s IPL 2025 campaign has been a slog so far; 97 runs conceded without a wicket in three games, with Sunday’s 53-run hammering being the lowlight. The BCCI didn’t mince words, pinning him for a Level 1 offense under Article 2.2, which covers “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment, or fixtures and fittings.” Think kicking stumps, smashing boards, or venting frustration in ways that leave a dent; literally. Ishant owned up to it, accepting Match Referee Javagal Srinath’s sanction without a fuss. For Level 1 breaches, that call’s final; no appeals, no do-overs.

So, what’s Article 2.2? It’s the rule that says you don’t trash the game’s gear. Hitting wickets, swinging a bat into an ad board, or recklessly damaging anything from dressing room doors to boundary fences fall fair game for a penalty. The BCCI didn’t spill the exact moment Ishant crossed the line, but with 53 runs flying off his bowling, frustration might’ve gotten the better of him.

Meanwhile, GT fans barely noticed his struggles, thanks to Siraj’s heroics and a slick chase led by Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 60 off 42 balls. Siraj, Hyderabad-born and in red-hot form, has now bagged nine wickets in four matches this season. He tore through SRH, limiting them to 152-8, while Gill, Washington Sundar, and Sherfane Rutherford sealed the deal with 20 balls to spare. That’s three wins on the trot for GT; talk about a hat-trick!

For Siraj, it’s all roses; for Ishant, a fine and a bruised ego. GT’s rolling, but can their veteran pacer turn it around? Stay tuned; this IPL’s just heating up!

                                               

Relevant news