RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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‘Please don’t make your judgment’: Yashasvi Jaiswal hits back after Harsha Bhogle weighs in on Asitha Fernando clash originally appeared on Cricket News .
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Yashasvi Jaiswal responded publicly after Harsha Bhogle commented on his clash with Asitha Fernando.
The India opener said critics did not know what was said to him on the field.
Jaiswal made helmet contact with the Sri Lanka bowler after being dismissed for 45 in Colombo.
Yashasvi Jaiswal hits back after Harsha Bhogle weighs in on Asitha Fernando clash
Yashasvi Jaiswal has broken his silence on the confrontation that overshadowed the opening session in Colombo, and he has done so by pushing back directly at those criticising him. The India opener responded in the comments of an Instagram post after Harsha Bhogle offered his view on the incident.
The veteran commentator mentioned that while he has never been a fan of send-offs after dismissing a batter, what Jaiswal did wasn't needed. "So if someone's said something to him, the best thing to do in such a situation is to walk away."
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Bhogle mentioned that it was too close for his comfort. He further told Jaiswal that walking away would have been the right thing. "Yes, maybe what was said shouldn't have been said, but as you give, so you must take. The easiest thing is to go away," Bhogle said.
Before this altercation, the Sri Lankan pacer had conceded three boundaries to Jaiswal earlier in the same over: a straight drive, an upper cut over the slips, and a pull. He responded to the wicket with an animated send-off, gesturing for the opener to head back to the pavilion.
Jaiswal initially walked on before turning back. The pair exchanged words and came face-to-face, with the India batter's helmet making contact with Fernando's forehead and a push following, before Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva intervened to separate them.
MORE: ‘If you can’t take it back…’: Ajay Jadeja gives Yashasvi Jaiswal blunt reality check after Asitha Fernando altercation
Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks silence after criticism
Rather than issue a formal statement, Jaiswal replied in the comments section of a Cricbuzz post on Instagram that carried Bhogle's assessment of the episode. His message was unapologetic.
"If you don't know what he said, then please don't make your judgement. If anyone crosses the line, we need to let them know. This India will fight and reply," Jaiswal wrote .
Yashasvi Jaiswal's reply to the incident with Asitha Fernando 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/jXGFky75Za
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 24, 2026 The implication is clear enough: Fernando said something Jaiswal considered unacceptable, and the reaction was provoked rather than gratuitous. Neither player has publicly detailed what was actually said in the middle.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had earlier offered a similar reading while still conceding his player was in the wrong. "I think they must have said something to him, and it might have happened in the heat of the moment. Obviously, Jaiswal, I don't think he should have been so close to Fernando," Kotak said.
Ajay Jadeja was more critical, describing physical contact as dangerous territory and pointing out that Jaiswal himself had spent several minutes goading Niroshan Dickwella in Galle days earlier. Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk declined to be drawn on sanctions, saying he would leave the matter to match referee Andy Pycroft.
MORE: Jaiswal vs Fernando: Will India opener face suspension for headbutting?
Why Jaiswal's defence only partly holds up
There is a fair point buried in his response. Stump microphones rarely capture everything, and observers passing judgement on a confrontation without knowing what triggered it are working from incomplete information. Fernando's send-off was pointed, and reports suggest it referenced Jaiswal's own banter with Dickwella in the previous Test.
The argument weakens on the specific issue of contact. Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct exists precisely because verbal provocation, however severe, does not license physical retaliation, and a Level 1 breach carries anything from a reprimand to a 50 per cent match-fee fine plus demerit points.
Jaiswal's willingness to hold his ground reflects the competitive edge that has made him one of India's most watchable young batters, but the helmet contact is the part no amount of context will excuse.
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