Did Jaiswal get away with a lenient fine for Asitha Fernando head butt? What do the rules say?

In the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, an incident occurred on the field when India's Yashasvi Jaiswal head-butted Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando. Both players were fined 25% of their match fees and received one demerit point each, as per the ICC's Article 2.12, which prohibits inappropriate physical contact between players and support staff.

The footage did not conclusively prove that Jaiswal deliberately head-butted Fernando after his dismissal. The ICC's tiered system for handling player misconduct meant Jaiswal's penalty was appropriate given the severity of the incident. While the punishment may seem lenient, it is in line with the rules as written, and the ICC's assessment of intent from match footage can be challenging.