Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been fined a quarter of his match fee for vaping in the dressing room during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 game against Punjab Kings.
Images of Parag, 24, using an e‑cigarette during Tuesday’s match against Punjab Kings were broadcast live on television and quickly went viral on social media.
E‑cigarettes are banned in India under a 2019 law that prohibits their manufacture, import, sale and storage, regardless of nicotine content.
“Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed,” a statement posted on the league’s website said, adding that the team skipper would also be hit with one demerit point.
The IPL added that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was also exploring options to initiate “stringent action” against the Rajasthan Royals, its officials and players to ensure that the reputation of the league “remains intact”.
Violations of India’s e-cigarette law can attract fines of up to 500,000 rupees ($6,000) and jail terms. Personal possession and vaping in public is also banned.
Rajasthan, winners of the inaugural IPL in 2008 under late Australian great Shane Warne, recently had their team manager, Ravinder Singh Bhinder, fined 100,000 rupees for using a mobile phone in the dugout during a match.
READ: Tentative schedule for Pakistan-Australia ODI series revealed: sources
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag could face disciplinary action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after he was seen vaping in the dressing room during his team’s win over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Images of Parag, 24, using an e‑cigarette during Tuesday’s match in Chandigarh were broadcast live on television and quickly went viral on social media.
E‑cigarettes are banned in India under a 2019 law that prohibits their manufacture, import, sale and storage, regardless of nicotine content.
Violations can attract fines of up to 500,000 rupees ($6,000) and jail terms. Personal possession and vaping in public is also banned.
Riyan Parag scored 29 runs as Rajasthan handed table‑toppers Punjab their first defeat of the season, successfully chasing down 222.
The captain has struggled with the bat this season, scoring just 117 runs in nine matches at an average of 14.62.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could fine Parag for breaching IPL rules and setting a poor example.
Rajasthan, winners of the inaugural IPL in 2008 under late Australian great Shane Warne, recently had their team manager, Ravinder Singh Bhinder, fined 100,000 rupees for using a mobile phone in the dugout during a match.
READ: Peshawar Zalmi receive timely boost ahead of PSL 11 final
Controversy erupted after Rajasthan Royals (RR) manager Romi Bhinder was caught using a mobile phone in the team dugout during an IPL 2026 clash.
Bhinder has been in numerous roles with RR since 2008 and is also the guardian of the teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The video of Bhinder using a mobile phone soon went viral on social media during the clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sitting next to him in the team’s dugout.
Despite the footage, Romi Bhinder is not yet charged with a breach of the IPL code of conduct.
Following the incident, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has launched a probe and will review the video before reaching any conclusion.
“We need to thoroughly examine where exactly the event happened and whether the phone was used. We will conduct an internal examination before reaching a logical conclusion,” he said.
“Yes, Bhinder has indeed breached the protocol of the players’ and match officials’ area (PMOA) as cell phones are banned in the dugout during a match,” Cricinfo cited a BCCI official.
“It could be inadvertent, but there has to be some action since it amounts to a breach.” Whether it will be warning or match ban will depend on match referee and ACU [anti-corruption unit] report. Based on that, the IPL governing council can take a call,” he added.
According to PMOA protocol, the team manager is permitted to use a mobile phone in the dressing room but NOT in the dugout.”
READ: Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam receive PSL NOC extension