Sanjay Manjrekar Demands Stricter Penalties After Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Incidents

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-08-26 14:45:00

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced strong concerns regarding on-field player discipline, calling for significantly stricter punishments following recent disciplinary breaches involving young batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal and rising talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Manjrekar warned that soft penalties and institutional leniency risk normalizing aggressive misconduct and could severely damage the future of young athletes.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Confrontation and Mild Penalties

The controversy erupted during Day 1 of the Colombo Test between India and Sri Lanka. Opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was fined 25 percent of his match fee and slapped with a demerit point following a heated physical confrontation with Sri Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando.

The incident occurred as Jaiswal was walking back to the pavilion following his dismissal when he was provoked by Fernando. Reacting to the provocation, Jaiswal engaged in a physical altercation involving a headbutt. Questioning the adequacy of the official sanction, Manjrekar argued that despite clear video evidence of physical contact, the punishment was far too lenient.

Taking to social media platform X, Manjrekar expressed his apprehension:

"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."

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Previous Incident and Escalating Tensions

Manjrekar’s critique follows a similar disciplinary breach earlier in June involving teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While representing India A, Sooryavanshi was penalized after shoving Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage in the aftermath of a tense Super Over. Both players received fines amounting to 50 percent of their match fees, alongside separate penalties handed to Tilak Varma and Niroshan Dickwella. Manjrekar had previously maintained that stricter internal action, such as dropping the youngster from subsequent matches, should have been enforced.

Meanwhile, Jaiswal had previously defended aggressive on-field expressions, asserting that the national team would not back down when opponents crossed professional boundaries.

Rising On-Field Friction in Sri Lanka Series

The disciplinary spotlight intensified further as the match progressed. During Sri Lanka's innings, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Kamil Mishara, necessitating direct intervention from the on-field umpires. Substitute fielder Sarfaraz Khan was also involved in verbal altercations with opposition figures like Dhananjaya de Silva and Niroshan Dickwella. With tempers flaring across multiple fixtures, analysts and cricket pundits are urging governing bodies to enforce rigorous compliance to preserve sportsmanship and player conduct.

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