Manjrekar Calls on ICC, BCCI to Punish Sooryavanshi, Jaiswal for Misconduct

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has called for stricter action against young Indian players Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal following their recent on-field confrontations, warning that failing to address such incidents could encourage similar behaviour in the future.

Manjrekar’s comments came after Jaiswal was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point by the ICC for his confrontation with Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo. Fernando received the same punishment after both players admitted to breaching Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with inappropriate physical contact.

The incident occurred after Fernando dismissed Jaiswal for 45 on the opening day. The pacer appeared to give Jaiswal a send-off, prompting the Indian batter to turn around and confront him. The pair came face-to-face before Jaiswal’s helmet made contact with Fernando’s forehead, with players stepping in to separate them.

Manjrekar believes the incident should not be viewed in isolation. He also referred to Sooryavanshi’s confrontation with Sri Lanka A players during an India A match earlier this year.

“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 wrote on social media while tagging the ICC and BCCI.

Sooryavanshi had been involved in a heated exchange with Sri Lanka A players after India A lost a Super Over in a tri-series match in Dambulla in June. The teenager appeared to shove Sri Lanka A’s Vishen Halambage during the confrontation.

The incident led to questions over possible disciplinary action. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board was not responsible for such decisions, as disciplinary matters rested with match officials and the relevant cricket authorities. He also urged India A players to focus on their cricket rather than get distracted by what he described as “collateral issues”.

Jaiswal, meanwhile, defended his response after commentator Harsha Bhogle suggested that walking away would have been the better option. Responding to a Cricbuzz video, Jaiswal argued that people should not judge the incident without knowing what Fernando had said.

“If someone crosses the line, we need to let them know. This India will fight and reply,” Jaiswal said.

Bhogle acknowledged that Jaiswal may have been provoked but felt the batter’s competitive nature had taken over. He also stressed that a player of Jaiswal’s ability should not allow such confrontations to take attention away from his cricket.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak took a measured view, suggesting that something may have been said to Jaiswal but adding that the Indian opener should not have moved so close to Fernando.

Manjrekar’s broader concern is that talented young cricketers need to understand the consequences of crossing the line. While aggression and competitiveness are part of the game, he believes repeated leniency could reinforce unwanted behaviour and potentially harm the players’ careers.