Royals captain penalised after television cameras caught vaping inside dressing room during match
Bengaluru
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and handed one demerit point for vaping inside the dressing room during an IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
The incident occurred during Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night, when Parag was seen on the live television broadcast inhaling from an e-cigarette. The visuals quickly went viral on social media and sparked widespread criticism from cricket fans and viewers.
According to IPL officials, on-field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon initially did not report the incident to match referee Amit Sharma immediately after the game. However, after reviewing the broadcast footage, the matter was formally reported and Parag was found guilty of breaching the IPL Code of Conduct.
The offence was treated as a Level 1 breach under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with actions that bring the game into disrepute. Under the regulations, a Level 1 offence carries a penalty of 25 per cent deduction from match fees along with one demerit point. Since it was categorised as a minor breach, no formal hearing was required.
The IPL Code states that public acts of misconduct, unruly behaviour and inappropriate actions detrimental to the image of the game can fall under Article 2.21. Officials reportedly viewed the incident as careless behaviour, especially considering the influence of television broadcasts and social media visibility.
The controversy has also reignited discussion around India’s ban on e-cigarettes. The Union government prohibited the production, sale and distribution of e-cigarettes in 2019. Violations under the law can attract imprisonment of up to one year and fines up to Rs 1 lakh for first-time offenders.
This is the second controversy involving Rajasthan Royals this season. Earlier, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh for violating PMOA protocol after allegedly using a mobile phone in the dugout during a match.
Rajasthan Royals will next face Delhi Capitals at home on Friday night.
