Rahane revealed what match referee Vengalil Narayanan Kutty told him after the incident.
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane explained how he saved Yashasvi Jaiswal from a potential four-match ban during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final by proactively sending him off the field for disciplinary reasons.
During that fixture between West Zone and South Zone, Jaiswal engaged in a continuous, heated verbal altercation with South Zone batter T. Ravi Teja. The on-field umpires repeatedly warned the southpaw regarding his aggressive sledging.
When Jaiswal ignored the warnings, the then West Zone captain Rahane took the unprecedented step of ordering Jaiswal off the field, forcing his team to field with 10 players for seven overs.
While initial media reports highlighted the tension and rumours that Jaiswal later reacted angrily in the dressing room, Rahane recently revealed that the match referee had intended to impose a four-match BCCI ban on the left-hander.
"Sledging happens in the game, and it should happen. It adds a bit of fun," Rahane said in an interview with The Indian Express. "I read the situation. I sensed at that point in time that it probably would have gone out of hand. Yes, at that point Yashasvi must have felt bad. But I sensed what could happen going ahead. I have seen many situations where players have been banned, and you never know how times change. You lose one opportunity and your time is up. You never know. I sensed the situation and realised it was going out of hand. Both the players were losing control. And it was my responsibility to stop my teammate."
Rahane then shared what match referee Vengalil Narayanan Kutty told him after the incident and how his direct on-field action convinced the referee to withdraw the penalty, effectively saving Jaiswal’s early career momentum.
"The match referee did not expect that. They didn't realise I would do such a thing. The match referee was ready with a four-match ban. The letter was written. 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 up in front of me. In the end, I was happy that Jaiswal didn't get a 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 remarked.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is currently in Colombo, Sri Lanka, playing a three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the Nondescripts Cricket Club ground ahead of India's upcoming two-match Test series, slated to be begin on August 15 in Galle.