Manjrekar and Karthik in ugly on-air spat during India-Sri Lanka Test

Former Indian cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Murali Karthik were involved in a heated exchange on air during the third day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Galle. The incident began when Karthik commented on Manjrekar's 'pout', saying it made him difficult to understand.

Manjrekar responded by asking the director to switch the camera to Ajinkya Rahane, calling him a 'much more pleasant person to talk to'. The exchange escalated until Manjrekar said they were 'going to cross lines' and ended it to prevent further escalation.

This is not the first on-air spat involving Manjrekar. He had a similar exchange with Harsha Bhogle in 2019 and was criticised by Ravindra Jadeja for calling him a 'bits and pieces' player. India ended day three in a strong position, bowling Sri Lanka out for 284 to take a 178-run lead.