Manjrekar and Kartik trade on-air barbs during India-Sri Lanka Test in Galle; clip goes viral
Former India cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Murali Kartik engaged in a pointed on-air exchange during the live broadcast of the India vs Sri Lanka first Test in Galle on August 17, 2026, and a clip of the incident has since circulated widely online.
What began, according to the broadcast, as a seemingly light-hearted remark turned awkward when Kartik targeted Manjrekar’s on-screen mannerisms, prompting a sharp comeback from Manjrekar during the Sony Sports Network coverage of the match. Kartik said: “A gentle request and a big request from one and all. You have the pout of the century, but because of your pout, we are not able to understand what you say. So please limit that pout.” Manjrekar replied: “That’s a bad one. Can we make the split screen and shift the camera to the other guy? Because he’s a much more pleasant person to talk to and he’s got a much more pleasant face as well. I just wonder, ‘superb, superb, superb’, Murali Kartik’s voice, looking at himself in the mirror.”
Kartik answered Manjrekar directly: “I don’t look at myself, ever. That’s you. That is only you. If anyone knows you, that is only you, people who have played with you, people who have worked.” The broadcast clip was circulated by the network alongside the remark “THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY!”, and the commentators themselves acknowledged the exchange might provoke a reaction on social media; Manjrekar said on air: “Because there is an incentive, there is an incentive to look in the mirror. For you, I can understand it’s not very motivating, anyway. We are both going to cross lines here and social media will have a field day.”
The verbal spat occurred while India controlled the match on the field: India were bowled out for 462 in their first innings and Sri Lanka were dismissed for 284, leaving India with a 178-run lead after the first innings. India then posted 193 in their second innings, setting Sri Lanka a target of 372.
At stumps on Day 4 Sri Lanka were 84/4 after 34 overs and required 288 more runs for victory, leaving India needing six wickets on the final day to win the Test. The report noted that weather could affect the result and referenced the turning nature of the Galle surface as a challenge for Sri Lanka’s middle order.
Individual contributions cited in the coverage included Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja as among India’s key performers with the ball, and Rishabh Pant was credited with becoming the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket during the match.
India still require six wickets on the final day to complete a win, with Sri Lanka needing 288 runs from their remaining innings and weather conditions identified as a potential factor in the outcome.
