Hyderabad (Telangana), India -- On April 7 (ANI): Veteran bowler Ishant Sharma from the Gujarat Titans received one demerit point and was fined 25 percent of his match fee for violating the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Code of Conduct during their game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.

On Monday, the Indian Premier League (IPL) issued a statement confirming that Ishant acknowledged committing a Level 1 offense as outlined in Article 2.2 and agreed to accept the penalty imposed by match referee Javagal Srinath.

"Ishant Sharma, the bowler from Gujarat Titans, has been penalized with a fine equivalent to 25 percent of his match fee and has received one Demerit Point for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday," stated the IPL in an official release.

"Ishant Sharma acknowledged committing a Level 1 offense as outlined in Article 2.2 and agreed to accept the sanctions imposed by the Match Referee. It was noted that for Level 1 violations of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee’s decision holds ultimate authority," the statement ended.

The 36-year-old experienced a costly performance during the match against Sunrisers, which turned out to be lopsided from start to finish. In his four-over stint, he faced relentless hitting and gave away 53 runs, more than anyone else on either team. Midway through GT’s innings, in the 13th over, he was replaced with Sherfane Rutherford.

In general, Ishant has found it difficult to keep the batsmen in check this season. Batsmen from opposing teams have consistently piled up significant scores against him over three matches. On average, he stands as the costliest bowler of the current season, having conceded 107 runs in just eight overs spread across these games, though he does boast one wicket so far.

Even after his expensive over, the Titans managed to limit the high-flying Sunrisers to a modest total of 152/8. Chasing this target, GT’s leader Shubman Gill led from the front; however, Hyderabad struck back by taking a few quick wickets at the start of their innings.

He delivered an impressive performance with clinically executed strokes from the book, remained undefeated at 61 runs off 43 balls, and guided his team to a relaxed 7-wicket triumph with several deliveries remaining. Recording their third consecutive win out of four matches, GT advanced to the number two position on the leaderboard. (ANI)