Rajasthan Royals Captain Riyan Parag is facing disciplinary scrutiny after footage of him vaping during RR’s IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur on April 28 spread rapidly across social media. The clip was captured during the live broadcast in the 16th over of the second innings, shortly after Parag had been dismissed for 29 off 16 deliveries. Teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, and Kuldeep Sen were also present in the footage, though the board’s attention has fallen squarely on the Captain.
BCCI moves to address the incident formally
A BCCI official told The Indian Express, “We will be seeking an explanation from Riyan on this issue, as vaping is not allowed. Depending on his explanation, the IPL will take further course of action.”
The board has stopped short of announcing any punishment, with the next step determined entirely by Parag’s response. Should the matter escalate, the Match Referee holds the authority to issue a formal reprimand, reduce a player’s match fee, or impose a suspension, with the weight of any consequence shaped by what the review ultimately determines.
Legal framework makes this more than a conduct matter
The incident places Parag at the intersection of sporting regulation and Indian national law in a way that makes the board’s task considerably more delicate. IPL venues carry blanket non-smoking designations, and the broader player conduct framework gives officials room to act against behaviour that undermines the integrity or image of the competition, even where specific acts are not itemised in the playing conditions.
What sharpens the stakes further is that e-cigarettes occupy a categorically prohibited status under Indian law. The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, treats these devices as illegal across every stage of their existence — from how they are made and distributed to how they reach consumers and are promoted — and those found in violation face criminal penalties including imprisonment of up to six months and substantial fines. Using such a device on stadium premises brings consequences that operate independently of whatever disciplinary path the IPL chooses to follow.
A difficult season made harder for Parag
Parag inherited the RR captaincy ahead of IPL 2026 after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The 24-year-old had been among five players retained by the franchise before the November 2024 mega auction — a group that also included Samson, Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer — and entered the season carrying the weight of leading a side expected to compete deep into the tournament.
His batting has not reflected that responsibility. Nine matches into the campaign, Parag has managed 117 runs at an average of 14.63 and a strike rate of 124.47, with 29 his highest score and no half-century recorded. The off-field storm arrives on the back of what many considered RR’s best result of IPL 2026 — a six-wicket chase of 223 in the final over that handed Punjab Kings, the tournament’s only unbeaten side at the time, their first loss of the season and lifted RR to third in the standings. The dressing room footage ensured that result was quickly overshadowed.
RR’s second off-field controversy of the season
The vaping incident is not the first time Rajasthan Royals have been called to account by the board this season. As previously reported by cricexec, franchise manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh (approx. US$1.1K) and issued a formal warning by the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit after being filmed on his mobile phone in the team dugout during RR’s match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati on April 10, with teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi seated alongside him at the time. Bhinder subsequently cited medical grounds in his defence, though the ACSU found no serious wrongdoing and the penalty stood.
Two conduct-related episodes in a single season present an uncomfortable pattern for a franchise simultaneously managing a difficult campaign on the field. RR face Delhi Capitals in a home fixture in Jaipur on Friday.
