The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to punish Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag.
During RR’s victory over Punjab Kings on April 28, television cameras caught Parag lighting an e-cigarette and “vaping” in the dressing room.
The incident created a huge controversy with the BCCI indicating that it would decide on a punishment for Parag.
Riyan Parag admitted the offense and accepted the penalty imposed by the match referee – BCCI
Earlier, a BCCI source had stated that the board would seek an explanation from Parag on his actions and then decide on further actions.
Now, the BCCI has decided Parag’s punishment. It was decided that his actions had brought the game into disrepute and he would therefore be fined 25% of his match fee.
“Riyan Parag, captain of Rajasthan Royals, has been fined 25% of his match fee and has also accumulated one demerit point for violating level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during the 40th match of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Punjab Kings,” read the official IPL statement.
“Riyan was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which relates to ‘conduct that brings the game into disrepute’. The incident occurred during the second innings when Riyan was seen using a vaporizer inside the dressing room. Riyan admitted the violation and accepted the penalty imposed by match referee Amit Sharma.”
“The BCCI is also exploring other options to initiate procedures to take strict action against the wrong team, its officials and players to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact,” the statement read.
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Riyan Parag at IPL 2026
Although Rajasthan Royals are fourth in the points table with six wins from nine matches, Riyan Parag’s own form has been indifferent.
In 9 matches, Parag has made just 117 runs at an average of 14.62 and a strike rate of 125. His highest score in this period has been just 29.
Parag has also bowled from time to time, but he hasn’t had much success in that regard either. In total, he bowled 4 overs and took 2 wickets with an economy of 9.50 and an average of 19.
Also Read: Not just Riyan Parag! “Many players consume electronic cigarettes”: IPL source drops bomb on vaping
Rajasthan Royals next match
RR will take on Delhi Capitals in their next home match in Jaipur. In fact, two of RR’s next three games are against the Capitals.