Ajinkya Rahane has opened up about one of the most talked-about incidents involving him and Yashasvi Jaiswal, revealing that his intervention during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final may have prevented the young batter from receiving a four-match ban.The relationship between Rahane and Jaiswal has been a subject of considerable discussion in Mumbai cricket circles over the years. Rahane, a multiple-trophy-winning captain and highly respected figure in Indian cricket, has long been regarded as one of Mumbai’s senior voices, while Jaiswal has emerged as one of the country’s most exciting young talents.One of the incidents that has frequently been linked to their relationship took place during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final. Jaiswal, representing West Zone, was involved in repeated exchanges with South Zone’s T Ravi Teja despite several warnings from the umpire.Rahane, who was leading West Zone, eventually intervened. He tried to persuade Jaiswal to stop engaging in the confrontation before asking him to leave the field and return to the dressing room for a while.Looking back at the incident, Rahane said he believed the situation was close to getting out of control and that stepping in was part of his responsibility as captain.“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 then revealed that the match referee, Vengalil Narayanan Kutty, had already prepared a four-match ban letter for Jaiswal.
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“The match referee was ready with a 4-match ban and 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 and I’m not taking any credit away from him. But you never know,” he said.Jaiswal went on to produce a match-defining performance in the final, earning Player of the Match honours after smashing 265 runs as West Zone won the title. He subsequently made his India debut in 2023 during the tour of the West Indies.For Rahane, the decision to send Jaiswal away from the action was rooted in the lessons he learnt through Mumbai cricket, particularly the importance of respecting officials.“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 to go inside for a few overs, put ice on your head, and come back,” he added.The incident has since taken on greater significance because of Jaiswal’s rise in international cricket.In 2025, reports surfaced suggesting that tensions between Jaiswal and Rahane had contributed to the younger batter’s decision to consider leaving Mumbai for Goa. Jaiswal ultimately did not make the move.Rahane’s latest comments, however, offer his perspective on one of the earlier flashpoints between the pair. The former captain made it clear that his intervention during the Duleep Trophy final was aimed at protecting his teammate and preventing the situation from escalating.
