The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reacted to the controversy surrounding Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag. After a viral video surfaced showing the Royals captain vaping in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), the board issued a statement on possible disciplinary action.
The incident occurred during a live telecast at the Maharaja Yadvendra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, April 28. The clip, which reportedly showed Parag vaping after being dismissed, sparked online debate and diverted attention from Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase against Punjab Kings.
BCCI issued official statement Riyan Paragvaping controversy
According to a report in Indian Express, a BCCI official reacted to the dressing room controversy. The official confirmed that vaping is strictly prohibited during professional matches and the board will seek clarification from Riyan Parag.
“We will seek clarification from Ryan on this issue, as vaping is not allowed. Based on his clarification, the IPL will take further action,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
Although no official punishment has been announced, multiple reports suggest that the BCCI is conducting an internal review. Rajasthan Royals management is awaiting a final decision ahead of their upcoming IPL match against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur on Friday.
Riyan Parag had a disappointing Indian Premier League season
Apart from the vaping controversy, Riyan Parag is facing a mediocre 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 his highest score being 29.
The right-handed batsman has failed to score a half-century in the ongoing tournament. Parag appointed Sanju Samson as the captain of Rajasthan Royals 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, after these consecutive batting failures he has struggled to justify his leadership role and retention value.
Anti-corruption controversy related to Rajasthan Royals
The vaping incident is the second major controversy involving Rajasthan Royals during the current Indian Premier League season, raising fresh concerns about discipline after earlier breaching restricted area rules in the tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, TV cameras caught franchise manager Ravinder Bhinder using a mobile phone inside the restricted dressing room during the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati on April 10.
Following an official statement from the IPL, administrators confirmed that Bhinder had breached player and match official field protocols. The Board of Control for Cricket in India directed its anti-corruption and security unit to investigate the matter.
The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit later acquitted Bhinder after finding no corruption-related issues with his phone usage. However, the BCCI issued a formal warning and fined him Rs 1 lakh for violating safety guidelines.
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