Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Asitha Fernando sledging controversy: Dhruv Jurel reveals truth behind Indian batsman's heated altercation with Sri Lankan

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Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Asitha Fernando sledging controversy: Dhruv Jurel reveals truth behind Indian batsman's heated altercation with Sri Lankan originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • India ace Dhruv Jurel revealed the real story behind the Jaiswal-Fernando flare-up in Colombo, saying the Sri Lankan pacer abused Jaiswal nonstop after his dismissal.
  • Both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fees and handed demerit points for a Level 1 code of conduct breach.
  • Jurel, Jaiswal's Rajasthan Royals teammate, insisted the left-hander never instigates trouble but always hits back hard whenever he's provoked on the field.

'If you provoke us, we give it back': Dhruv Jurel lifts the lid on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fiery sledging confrontation with Asitha Fernando

Dhruv Jurel has broken his silence on what actually triggered that heated face-off between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando on day one of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.

The flashpoint came in the 17th over of India's first innings, right when Fernando removed the young opener. Jaiswal had already begun his walk back towards the pavilion when something made him stop in his tracks and turn around to confront the bowler head-on.

Jaiswal came close to a head-butt on Fernando before Sri Lankan fielders stepped in and pulled the two apart, allowing the batter to finally make his way back to the dressing room. 

MORE: Did Jaiswal get away with a lenient fine for Asitha Fernando head butt?

According to Jurel, it was Fernando who kept sledging Jaiswal well after dismissing him, and that's what set the left-hander off.

“When he got out, he was quietly walking back to the dressing room. He didn't say anything. If you look at the footage, Jaiswal immediately turned around. The Sri Lankan pacer was abusing him. Jaiswal told me that he was abusing him nonstop,” Jurel told Aakash Chopra.

“Jaiswal told him, It's okay. You took my wicket, you can show normal aggression, but you can't abuse me."

Jurel defends Jaiswal's temperament: 'He never starts it'

Jurel, who also plays alongside Jaiswal at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, was quick to defend his teammate's reputation when Chopra pushed him on Jaiswal's fiery streak.

"He's a feisty guy, isn't he? He will give it back if you give it to him?" asked Chopra. 

Jurel didn't hesitate with his response: "100 per cent. He will never start it; I have never seen him do that. He is always in the zone; he is always thinking about his batting. But if you provoke us, we will also return it."

MORE: Jaiswal hits back after Harsha Bhogle weighs in on Asitha Fernando clash

The ICC stepped in with an official statement and sanctioned both players. The pair were found guilty of breaching Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, a Level 1 offence tied to inappropriate physical contact involving a player, support staff, umpire, match referee, or any other person, spectators included. Alongside the fine, both Jaiswal and Fernando picked up one demerit point apiece; their first in over two years.

BCCI/Creimas

Context matters more than the clip suggests

The viral clip made it look like Jaiswal snapped for no reason, but Jurel's account flips that narrative on its head. Cricket's always had this odd double standard where a bowler's send-off after a wicket gets brushed off as "passion," while a batter standing his ground gets branded as hot-headed.

If Jurel's version holds, and there's no real reason to doubt a teammate who was right there, Fernando's continued sledging after the dismissal was the actual trigger, not Jaiswal losing his cool unprovoked.

MORE: 'Too lenient': Fans react as Yashasvi Jaiswal avoids ban, escapes with 25% fine after Asitha Fernando head clash

That doesn't excuse the near head-butt; boundaries exist for a reason, and the ICC was right to act. But it does complicate the easy story of Jaiswal as cricket's newest hothead. Players talk in the middle all the time; most of it stays there. This one just spilt over, and now both sides are bearing the consequences on their disciplinary record.

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