On the third day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sarfaraz Khan took the field as a substitute player and was seen sledging Dhananjaya de Silva. When the Sri Lankan captain stepped back from a delivery bowled by Manav Suthar, Sarfaraz asked him, "Why are you scared? Play the shot; you are the captain." These moments of Sarfaraz sledging were captured on camera, and his remarks were recorded on the stump mic—clips that are now going viral on social media.
Sarfaraz Khan was a last-minute addition to the squad in place of Sai Sudharsan for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka; however, he did not make the playing XI for either Test. On the third day of the second Test, he took the field as a substitute fielder for Rishabh Pant and was seen taunting Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva. The incident occurred when Dhananjaya stepped away and pointed towards the sightscreen just before facing a delivery from Manav Suthar, as he was experiencing some sort of disturbance.
The conversation between Sarfaraz and Dhananjaya was recorded on the stump mic
After that, Sarfaraz Khan, fielding at short leg, said to Dhananjaya de Silva, "Brother, there's nothing there; don't be afraid. Keep playing—you are the captain." He kept trying to unsettle the Sri Lankan captain with his words.
The sustained pressure applied by Sarfaraz Khan resulted in Dhananjaya de Silva losing his wicket cheaply; he was caught out off a delivery by Manav Suthar after scoring just 8 runs. Sri Lanka remains in the contest thanks to the impressive innings played by Pasindu Sooriyabandara (80) and Sonal Dinusha (85 not out). By the close of play on Day 3, Sri Lanka had reached 265 for 8, with Sonal—batting on 85—poised to carry the innings forward on Day 4. However, Sri Lanka still needs another 39 runs to avoid the follow-on.
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