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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seems to be angry with the actions of some team owners in IPL 2026.
Last week, BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia had issued a 7-page directive laying out the protocols that everyone associated with the IPL will have to follow. Now, it seems the board has noticed some team owners violating these protocols, and they may consider stricter action.
As per BCCI’s new protocol, team owners have been prevented from having any physical or verbal contact with players during IPL matches. Reportedly, there have now been several violations of this process.
The behavior of team owners is worrying – senior BCCI sources
According to The Indian Express report, the BCCI is unhappy with the behavior of team owners who are not following the guidelines.
“One of the most worrying aspects is the behavior of the team owners. They are violating the rules and not cooperating. As proof, we have their photographs near the dugout. Some people have even taken their phones to the field. They have been warned, but it has been of no use,” the source told The Indian Express.
He also verified that the board is considering strict action against any further violation of the guidelines.
BCCI had earlier issued an instruction to IPL teams
In its first statement, the board had warned players to be especially wary of unauthorized persons meeting in their hotel rooms and cases of honey-trapping.
In the statement, Saikia told the franchises: “BCCI draws the attention of all franchises to the well-documented risks of targeted collusion and honey-trapping prevalent in high-profile sporting environments.
The possibility of incidents giving rise to serious legal charges, including under laws applicable to sexual misconduct, cannot be ruled out. Franchisee management should remain alert and proactive at all times to mitigate such risks, Saikia said in the seven-page guidelines issued on Thursday.
A task force has been set up, comprising members from the BCCI and the tournament operations team. This team will be responsible for checking hotel rooms. Any case of unauthorized access will be subject to strict disciplinary action, with potential penalties already outlined.
Saikia gave a statement to all the franchises
Saikia had said in his statement that the team owner was repeatedly talking to the players during the match and he flagged such behaviour.
“In particular, there have been instances of IPL franchise owners attempting to communicate, approach, hug or otherwise physically interact with players and team members during live match situations,” the advisory said.
“Such conduct, although well-intentioned, directly violates established protocols and may interfere with team dynamics and match proceedings.” BCCI said franchise owners are “strictly prohibited from interacting with or physically entering the dugout, dressing room or playing area during a match with players or team officials.”
The advisory warned the owners and their associates not to violate the Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocols, otherwise it would be counted as a “serious breach”.
