Our Bureau
Mullanpur
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been found guilty of bringing cricket into disrepute and fined 25% of his match fee by the BCCI after being caught vaping inside the dressing room during an IPL 2026 match.
The incident happened during Match No. 40 between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday night. Live television cameras captured Parag using a vape during the 16th over of the second innings, while teammates Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal were present.
Match referee Amit Sharma found Parag guilty of a Level 1 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which covers actions that bring the game into disrepute. Interestingly, on-field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon did not report the matter immediately after the game. They only escalated it to Sharma after seeing visual proof.
Parag admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee, the IPL confirmed in an official statement. In addition to the 25% match fee fine, Parag has also received one demerit point.
The footage went viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation from fans and cricket observers. Smoking and vaping are completely prohibited in dressing rooms and stadium premises, except in designated areas.
The BCCI also warned it may take further action against Rajasthan Royals, its officials, and other players connected to the incident. This controversy has hit the IPL hard, especially since Parag is the captain for the 2026 season.
Cricket authorities stressed that such behaviour undermines the sport’s image, especially during a globally broadcast tournament like the IPL.
