The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reacted to the controversy involving Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag. After viral videos emerged showing the Royals captain vaping in the locker room during the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), the board issued a statement regarding possible disciplinary action.
The incident occurred during the live telecast at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, April 28. The clips allegedly showed Parag vaping after his dismissal, sparking an online debate and diverting attention from Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase against Punjab Kings.
BCCI issues official statement on Riyan ParagThe controversy over vaping
According to a report in The Indian Express, a BCCI official reacted to the locker room controversy. The official confirmed that vaping is strictly prohibited during professional matches and that the board will seek an explanation from Riyan Parag.
“We will seek an explanation from Riyan on this issue as vaping is not allowed. Depending on his explanation, the IPL will take further action,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
While no official punishment has been announced, multiple reports suggest that the BCCI is carrying out an internal review. Rajasthan Royals management is awaiting the final decision ahead of their next IPL match against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur on Friday.
Riyan Parag endures disappointing Indian Premier League season
Apart from the vaping controversy, Riyan Parag is enduring a modest IPL campaign for Rajasthan Royals. He has scored just 117 runs in nine matches at an average of 14.63 and a strike rate of 124.47, with a highest score of 29.
The right-handed batsman has failed to register a half-century in the ongoing tournament. Parag replaced Sanju Samson as Rajasthan Royals captain after the franchise traded Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Rajasthan Royals retained Parag along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer ahead of the mega auction. However, he has struggled to justify his leadership role and retention value following these consistent batting failures.
Anti-corruption controversy involving Rajasthan royals
This vaping incident is the second major controversy involving the Rajasthan Royals during the current Indian Premier League season, raising fresh concerns over discipline after an earlier breach of restricted area rules at the tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, television cameras caught franchise director Ravinder Bhinder using a mobile phone inside the restricted dressing room during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati on April 10.
Following an official statement from the IPL, the administrators confirmed that Bhinder violated the protocols of the players’ and match officials’ area. The Board of Control for Cricket in India ordered its Security and Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the matter.
The Security and Anti-Corruption Unit later cleared Bhinder after finding no issues related to corruption in the use of his phone. However, the BCCI issued a formal warning and fined him Rs one lakh for violating safety guidelines.
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