Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando’s heated confrontation during the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo has triggered a wider debate over player conduct, with former India players questioning both the physical exchange and whether disciplinary measures are strong enough to deter similar incidents.
The confrontation followed Fernando’s dismissal of Jaiswal for 45 on the opening day. After an exchange between the pair, Jaiswal turned back towards the Sri Lanka pacer and the two came face-to-face, with Jaiswal’s helmet making contact with Fernando’s forehead before other players intervened.
Both players were subsequently fined 25% of their match fees and received one demerit point after being found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which covers inappropriate physical contact. Jaiswal and Fernando admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft, meaning formal hearings were not required. Neither had committed an offence during the preceding 24 months.
Pujara and Karim question on-field conduct
Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara addressed the confrontation on Sony Sports: “It’s not an ideal visual. As a player, you need to control your emotions.”
Pujara continued: “Sometimes you do get angry. I can understand that till the time he was disappointed, or he was when he was having a chat, at that time. I think that’s acceptable till then.”
While Pujara acknowledged the emotions that can accompany an on-field exchange, his criticism ultimately focused on where the limits of such confrontations should lie. He added: “The moment it got to a point where both of them were going against each other, there was a body contact, which is not acceptable on the field.”
Former India cricketer Saba Karim also discussed the incident on Sony Sports: “Someone should remind both of them that this is not a contact sport. It is cricket.”
Karim added: “You’re not supposed to headbutt each other, but I find it extremely puerile. There’s no need for something like this on a cricket field.”
Karim also placed the incident in the broader context of the standards expected from international players, particularly given their visibility to younger audiences. He continued: “There’ll be times when a pace bowler or a bowler will get after you. One can always remain aggressive without getting into an act like this. I think it is unnecessary, and one should always remember that all such players are brand ambassadors of this lovely sport. So many youngsters are watching it.”
Manjrekar links Jaiswal incident with Sooryavanshi clash
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar widened the disciplinary debate by drawing a connection between the Jaiswal-Fernando incident and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s confrontation with Sri Lanka A cricketer Vishen Halambage during an India A tri-series in Dambulla in June.
Sooryavanshi and Halambage were involved in a physical exchange following India A’s Super Over defeat, with Sooryavanshi appearing to push the Sri Lanka A player. Both were fined 50% of their match fees, with the disciplinary action administered outside the ICC framework because A-team tours do not fall under the global governing body.
Following the latest incident, Manjrekar took to X and tagged both the ICC and BCCI: “Vaibhav for Ind A recently & now Jaiswal if you keep letting them get away with such behaviour, you train them to repeat such behaviour. It’s not good for the sport & crucially their own future too,”
Dear @icc & @bcci…
Vaibhav for Ind A recently & now Jaiswal… if you keep letting them get away with such behaviour, you train them to repeat such behaviour. It’s not good for the sport & crucially their own future too. 🙏— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 26, 2026
The two incidents have therefore placed the disciplinary treatment of physical confrontations involving young India players under greater scrutiny, with Manjrekar’s intervention bringing the consequences for future player behaviour into the discussion.
Jaiswal responds to criticism
Jaiswal has also publicly defended himself following the Colombo confrontation. His comments came in response to a Cricbuzz video featuring Harsha Bhogle captioned, “Did Jaiswal cross the line?”, in which Bhogle discussed the opener’s conduct and suggested walking away would have been the better course.
Jaiswal wrote in response: “If you don’t know what he said, then please don’t make your judgment.”
His second response shifted the focus to how he believes India should react when an opponent goes beyond acceptable limits. Jaiswal added: “If someone crosses the line, we need to let them know. This India will fight and reply,”
India Batting Coach Sitanshu Kotak also addressed the confrontation, suggesting Jaiswal may have heard something during the exchange while maintaining that the batter should not have moved so close to Fernando.
The ICC sanctions leave both Jaiswal and Fernando with one demerit point each from the incident, while the reaction from Pujara, Karim and Manjrekar has extended the discussion beyond the immediate punishment to the standards governing physical confrontations on the field.
