India wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel has revealed new details about the heated on field confrontation between Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando during the second Test in Colombo.
The incident took place during the opening day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on August 23, 2026. Jaiswal was dismissed by Fernando for 45 runs during the 17th over of India's first innings. The dismissal was followed by an exchange between the two players that quickly became heated.
Jaiswal had started his innings aggressively and had struck Fernando for three boundaries earlier in the over. Fernando eventually produced the delivery that dismissed the Indian opener, after which he gave Jaiswal an animated send off. Jaiswal initially began walking towards the dressing room but then turned back towards the Sri Lankan bowler. The confrontation escalated and the players made physical contact before teammates intervened.
Nearly a month after the incident, Jurel has provided an account of what Jaiswal told him about the exchange. Jurel discussed the incident during a conversation with former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra.
According to Jurel, Jaiswal was not initially looking for a confrontation. He said the Indian batter was quietly walking towards the dressing room after his dismissal when Fernando allegedly continued to abuse him. Jurel said Jaiswal then turned around and responded to the Sri Lankan pacer.
Jurel said that Jaiswal told Fernando that he could show normal aggression after taking a wicket, but that abusing an opponent was not acceptable. The account was presented by Jurel as information that Jaiswal had personally shared with him after the incident.
The revelation has provided additional context to an incident that had already attracted considerable attention during the Test series. At the time, television footage showed Jaiswal and Fernando exchanging words after the dismissal. Jaiswal moved towards Fernando and their heads subsequently made contact before other players separated them.
The International Cricket Council later confirmed disciplinary action against both players. Jaiswal and Fernando were each fined 25 percent of their match fees and received one demerit point after being found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The article covers inappropriate physical contact with another person during an international match.
Both players admitted the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. As a result, no formal hearing was required. The ICC also confirmed that neither player had committed a previous offence during the preceding 24 month period.
The confrontation occurred during an intense phase of the second Test. Jaiswal had been in positive form before his dismissal and had attacked Fernando earlier in the over. The Sri Lankan bowler, however, eventually won the contest by producing a delivery that dismissed the Indian batter for 45.
Jurel also spoke about Jaiswal's general approach to confrontations on the cricket field. According to the wicketkeeper batter, Jaiswal does not normally initiate sledging and remains focused on his batting. Jurel said that while Jaiswal can respond strongly when provoked, he had not seen him deliberately start such exchanges with opponents.
Jurel and Jaiswal are also teammates at Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Their association has given Jurel an opportunity to observe Jaiswal's approach both on and off the field. In his conversation with Chopra, Jurel described Jaiswal as a player who remains focused on batting and responds when he feels he has been provoked.
The latest comments do not change the ICC's official finding regarding the incident. The governing body's disciplinary decision was based on the physical contact between the two players, and both accepted the resulting sanctions. Jurel's comments instead provide his account of what Jaiswal told him about the verbal exchange that preceded the confrontation.
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had also addressed the incident shortly after it occurred. Kotak said the situation appeared to have developed in the heat of the moment, while acknowledging that Jaiswal should not have moved so close to Fernando. His comments came during the post day's interaction with the media in Colombo.
The incident became one of the notable moments of the second Test because it involved two players who were competing intensely immediately after a wicket. The situation was brought under control by the players around them, and the match continued after the confrontation.
Jaiswal's dismissal for 45 was particularly notable because he had already scored several boundaries against Fernando in the same over. Fernando's wicket therefore ended a promising innings, while his subsequent send off contributed to the exchange that followed.
The ICC's decision made clear that the physical aspect of the confrontation was the disciplinary issue. Both players were sanctioned under the same provision, with the same financial penalty and one demerit point each.
Jurel's comments have now added another layer to the discussion surrounding the incident. His account suggests that the verbal exchange continued after Jaiswal had begun walking away from the pitch. However, the claims about what was said are based on Jurel's account of what Jaiswal told him and should therefore be understood as his reported explanation rather than an independently established record of every word exchanged on the field.
The India Sri Lanka second Test ultimately ended in a draw after rain affected the match. India had won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs, while the Colombo Test produced several notable moments, including Jaiswal's confrontation with Fernando and Dhruv Jurel's unbeaten century during India's first innings.
The latest revelation from Jurel comes nearly a month after the incident and gives fans further insight into how the confrontation developed from a wicket celebration into a physical exchange. The ICC's disciplinary action remains the official outcome, while Jurel's comments provide the explanation Jaiswal reportedly gave him about the events that led to the confrontation.
