Ajinkya Rahane Reveals How He Saved Yashasvi Jaiswal from a Ban

Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has revealed how he helped Yashasvi Jaiswal avoid a four-match ban during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final. Rahane was captaining West Zone at the time and had to make a difficult call after Jaiswal went too far during a heated argument with an opposition batter.

The incident happened during the final between West Zone and South Zone. Jaiswal was involved in a verbal exchange with South Zone’s Ravi Teja. The two had already traded words earlier in the innings, with Rahane and the umpires stepping in to settle the matter.

The argument flared up again later in the innings. Rahane then decided that the situation had gone far enough and sent Jaiswal off the field.

It was a difficult decision for Rahane, particularly because Jaiswal was one of the important players in his side. However, the former India captain believed the youngster had gone beyond the limit and needed to be removed from the situation.

Rahane Explains His Decision

Recalling the incident, Rahane said he felt the matter could soon become serious and believed it was his duty as captain to step in.

“I sensed the situation that at that point in time, things would probably go out of hand. Yes, probably Yashasvi must have felt bad that day, but then I have seen many situations where players have been banned. I sensed the situation and also I felt both the players were going out of hand. It was my responsibility to control my teammate. You respect the umpires, the officials who are on field, who are controlling the game. Everyone can make mistakes, but as a player, you have to be within your limits.”

“So, it was my instinct to send him off the field. As a player, I sensed that he might feel bad, but it was okay. At that point of time, it was a good thing for him. I told him to go inside, sit out for five to six overs, put some ice on his head and then return,” he added.

Four-Match Ban Was Withdrawn

What Rahane and Jaiswal did not know then was that match referee Narayanan Kutty had already written up a four-match suspension for the young batter. That punishment was later withdrawn because Rahane had taken Jaiswal off the field.

“Eventually, I got to know that the match referee was ready with a four-match ban. The letter was written. He came up to me and said ‘Here’s the letter, but since you did that (sending Yashasvi out), I am tearing this up.’ He tore up the letter in front of me. As a leader, you have to be aware of the situation. That’s your thing to do. So in the end, I was happy. He didn’t get any ban and now he’s playing for India. He’s a quality player. I’m not taking any credit away from him, but you never know what would have happened,” Rahane said.

Jaiswal then delivered a match-winning performance in the final and was named Player of the Match after scoring 265 runs as West Zone lifted the title. He went on to make his India debut in 2023 during the tour of the West Indies.

Rahane’s Decision Impacts Disciplinary Action

Rahane’s decision to take Jaiswal off the field had a direct impact on the disciplinary action. Rather than serving a four-match ban, Jaiswal received a fine of around 15-20 per cent of his match fee.

Rahane also recalled that the match referee himself was surprised when he saw the captain take Jaiswal off the field. However, the decision eventually helped the youngster avoid a much heavier punishment.

Jaiswal may have been unhappy with Rahane’s call at the time, but the incident gave the youngster an important lesson. Rahane explained that players can compete hard and engage in sledging, but there is a point where they have to stop.

The incident did not stop Jaiswal from making a big impact in the match. He produced one of the finest knocks of his early career, scoring 265 in the second innings for West Zone.

Since then, Jaiswal has become one of India’s leading Test batters. His move from domestic cricket to the international level has been quick, and he is now a regular part of India’s Test team.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 2,535 runs in Tests, 285 in ODIs and 723 in T20Is. He is set to return to action soon when India play their upcoming two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.

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