Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that Yashasvi Jaiswal was on the verge of receiving a four-match ban during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final before the Mumbai veteran intervened to calm a heated situation.
Rahane, who was leading West Zone in the final against South Zone, recalled the incident involving Jaiswal and South Zone batter T Ravi Teja. Jaiswal had repeatedly engaged in heated exchanges with Teja despite warnings from the umpire.
With tensions escalating, Rahane eventually asked Jaiswal to leave the field and return to the dressing room for a few overs. According to the former India vice-captain, that decision potentially saved the young batter from a lengthy suspension.
“Sledging happens in the game, and I agree that it should happen—it adds a bit of fun,” he said in an interview with The Indian Express. “I sensed the situation, then, would have gone out of hand. Yes, at that point Yashasvi must have felt bad. But we’ve seen many situations where players have been banned, and you never know how time changes. One opportunity gone, your time changes—you never know. I sensed the situation and also felt both players were going out of hand, and it was my responsibility to control my teammate,” he said.
Rahane claimed that match referee Vengalil Narayanan Kutty had already prepared a four-match suspension letter for Jaiswal. However, the referee changed his decision after seeing Rahane take responsibility for managing his player.
“The match referee was ready with a 4-match ban—the letter was already written,” he said. “He came up to me and said, ‘This is the letter, but because you did this, I’m tearing it up.’ He tore the letter in front of me… In the end, I was happy that Jaiswal didn’t get any match ban, and now he’s playing for India. What could have happened? Maybe he wouldn’t have played after that, or maybe not. He’s a quality player—I’m not taking any credit away from him. But you never know,” he said.
Rahane also explained why he felt compelled to intervene, citing the values he learned through Mumbai cricket.
“Mistakes can happen with anyone,” Rahane said. “But as a player, you stay within that limit. So it was my instinctive reaction to send him off the field. He, as a player, maybe felt bad. I thought, ‘if he felt bad about me, it’s okay.’ But I think at that point in time, it was a good thing for him. The thing I told him was—’go inside for a few overs, put ice on your head, and come back.’,” he added.
Jaiswal went on to produce a sensational performance in the match, scoring 265 runs and being named Player of the Match as West Zone secured victory.
The incident has gained renewed attention amid reports of a strained relationship between the two cricketers. In 2025, reports claimed Jaiswal had considered leaving Mumbai for Goa, with his relationship with Rahane reportedly among the factors. However, the move ultimately did not materialise.
Jaiswal subsequently made his India debut in 2023 and has established himself as one of the country’s leading young batters.