'You train them to repeat': Sanjay Manjrekar calls out BCCI & ICC over leniency on Yashasvi Jaiswal & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite on-field misbehaviour

'You train them to repeat': Sanjay Manjrekar calls out BCCI & ICC over leniency on Yashasvi Jaiswal & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite on-field misbehaviour originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Sanjay Manjrekar criticised the ICC and BCCI for handing lenient punishments to Yashasvi Jaiswal over an on-field clash.
• Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fee and given one demerit point each.
• Manjrekar also referenced a similar incident involving young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.

'Not good for the sport': Sanjay Manjrekar calls out BCCI over Yashasvi Jaiswal's behaviour

Sanjay Manjrekar has hit out at cricket's governing bodies, BCCI & ICC, over what he sees as a repeated pattern of soft punishment for on-field misconduct, pointing to Yashasvi Jaiswal's recent confrontation with Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando as the latest example.

The flashpoint occurred on Day 1 of the second Test in Galle, right after Fernando ended a promising innings from Jaiswal. The Indian opener had already struck three boundaries in that over before Fernando found his defence and rattled the stumps.

As Jaiswal turned to walk off, the pacer chirped something, and he doubled back toward Fernando, with his helmet making contact against the bowler's forehead. Players from both teams stepped in quickly to defuse the situation before it could escalate any further.

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What punishment did the ICC hand out?

Both Jaiswal and Fernando received one demerit point each, along with fines of 25 per cent of their match fees.

In an official statement, the ICC explained: "Both players were found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to 'inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match)'," the statement read.

It also noted that neither player had any prior offences on record within the preceding 24-month window.

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BCCI/Creimas

Why did Sanjay Manjrekar criticise the punishment?

Manjrekar wasn't convinced the sanction went far enough, taking to social media to voice his frustration directly at both governing bodies.

"Dear @icc & @bcci… Vaibhav for India 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," he wrote on X.

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How does this tie back to the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi incident?

Manjrekar's comment also harped on an earlier episode involving 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. During a Tri-Nation A series clash in Dambulla, India A suffered a heartbreaking Super Over loss to Sri Lanka.

Sooryavanshi was visibly upset by the Sri Lankan players' over-the-top celebrations. He confronted them, exchanged words, and ended up shoving one of the opposition fielders before officials separated the two sides.

That incident resulted in a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee, a heavier penalty than what Jaiswal received but still one Manjrekar clearly feels wasn't strong enough given the pattern forming.

Manjrekar's concern deserves serious attention

There's significant weight behind Manjrekar's argument here, and it goes beyond just one isolated incident. When young, star players repeatedly get away with minor fines after physical confrontations on the field, it sends an unintentional message that aggressive behaviour carries limited consequences, especially for players whose talent already shields them from harsher scrutiny elsewhere in their careers.

The comparison between Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi is particularly telling. Two separate incidents, months apart, involving players at very different stages of their careers, both ending in fines that barely dent a modern cricketer's earnings.

If anything, the punishment structure seems to treat these episodes as routine hazards of competitive cricket rather than genuine breaches worth addressing more firmly.

Cricket boards often talk about protecting the spirit of the game, yet the disciplinary process rarely backs that language with actual deterrents. A 25 per cent match fee fine means very little to players already earning substantial IPL and central contract salaries.

Manjrekar's broader point, that leniency risks normalising this kind of conduct among young stars still shaping their reputations, feels entirely fair. Cricket's authorities would do well to reconsider whether financial penalties alone are enough, or whether stricter sanctions, like suspension, that actually threaten playing time, are needed to change behaviour going forward.

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