Manjrekar urges ICC and BCCI to act after Yashasvi Jaiswal-Asitha Fernando confrontation in Colombo

Sanjay Manjrekar has called on the International Cricket Council and the BCCI to impose tougher penalties after Yashasvi Jaiswal's confrontation with Sri Lankan paceman Asitha Fernando during the Sri Lanka v India second Test in Colombo in August 2026, a dispute Manjrekar linked to an earlier incident involving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

The exchange in Colombo followed a competitive spell in which Fernando dismissed Jaiswal for 45; Jaiswal had struck three boundaries in that innings before the dismissal. Fernando's send-off prompted Jaiswal to turn back and confront him, the two coming face-to-face, and Jaiswal's helmet subsequently made contact with the Sri Lankan bowler.

The ICC charged both players with 25% of their match fees, along with a demerit point, following a breach of Article 2.12, the governing body said.

Manjrekar entered the debate on social platform X, addressing the two governing bodies directly and urging sterner measures. He wrote: "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. 🙏"

Manjrekar also cited a confrontation involving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during a tri-series match between India A and Sri Lanka A, in which Sooryavanshi was seen pushing Sri Lankan player Vishen Halambage after India A lost in a super over. That incident resulted in Sooryavanshi being fined 50% of his match fees.

The former India batter said that, had he been the India A coach or manager, he would have dropped Sooryavanshi from the next match to signal that physical confrontation is unacceptable on the field. He added that players should manage such situations more prudently because rash behaviour can affect their careers as much as their on-field performances.

Jaiswal has stated viewers should not judge his actions without knowing what was said to him. The ICC recorded Jaiswal as having been sanctioned one time for disciplinary conduct during the Colombo Test, and he has scored 77 runs in 3 Test innings against Sri Lanka across 2 matches in the ongoing August 2026 series.