Caught on Camera, Questioned by BCCI: Riyan Parag's Vaping Incident Is More Serious Than It Looks
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was filmed vaping in the dressing room during the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings. The BCCI has sought an explanation, and the legal stakes under India's PECA 2019 make this far more than a code of conduct matter.
The broadcast camera panned to the Rajasthan Royals dressing room looking for a reaction. It found one. Just not the kind anyone was expecting.
Riyan Parag, captain of the RR and the man who had just been dismissed for 29 off 16 balls during the chase of 223 against Punjab Kings, was sitting in the dressing room with a vaping device in hand. The clip lasted a few sec. on the live broadcast. On social media, it has lasted considerably longer.
The BCCI has confirmed it will seek an explanation from Parag. Depending on that explanation, IPL action will follow. In India, that is not merely a disciplinary matter. Vaping is illegal under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019, with first-time offenders liable for a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, up to one year in prison, or both.
What the Camera Caught
The incident occurred during the 16th over of IPL 2026 Match 40 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on April 28. After Parag's dismissal in the 14th over, the camera cut to the visitors' dressing room. Seated alongside teammates Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Yudhvir Singh Charak and Kuldeep Sen, Parag was visibly using what appeared to be a vape device.
The Royals went on to win the match. They chased 223 with six wickets and four balls to spare, ending Punjab's unbeaten run in the tournament. In any other week, that result would have been the headline. This week, it is a footnote.
BCCI Steps In
A BCCI official confirmed the board's position to 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 IPL's playing regulations do not explicitly list vaping as a prohibited activity inside the dressing room. But they do require players to maintain decorum in all PMOA areas, and the BCCI's broader conduct framework applies to behaviour across all stadium premises. The grey area in the regulations does not make the situation more comfortable for Parag. It makes it more complicated for the BCCI.
One IPL source told IANS the view inside the tournament is straightforward. “Riyan should be handed a ban for this. If he wants to smoke or vape, he can go and do it in the bathroom or an area away from public viewing. What he did sets a very wrong precedent.”
A Franchise Under Scrutiny Again
This is the second time in the current IPL season that RR have faced off-field disciplinary attention. Earlier in the tournament, the team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh and issued a formal warning after being seen using a mobile phone in the dugout during the match against RCB in Guwahati, a violation of PMOA protocol.
Two incidents in one season, neither related to performances on the field, is not a pattern any franchise wants to establish. Especially not one sitting third on the table with six wins from eight matches, with genuine playoff ambitions in sight.
The Legal Dimension
What makes this situation more serious than a standard code of conduct breach is where it sits under Indian law. PECA 2019 bans the production, sale, purchase, import, export and advertisement of e-cigarettes and vaping devices across the country. The use of such a device in a public space, captured on a national broadcast, is not something the BCCI can quietly process through its standard disciplinary channels without acknowledging the legal context.
An IPL source raised an additional question that the board will need to answer. “How did Riyan manage to get a vape inside the dressing room? BCCI will have to tread carefully here. Though nicotine itself is not a banned substance under anti-doping rules, the board still needs to take strict action for this incident.”
That last point is worth sitting with. A banned device made it into an IPL dressing room, during a live match, on a day when broadcast cameras were rolling. The question of how is just as relevant as the question of what happens next.
What Comes Next for Parag
Parag has been one of the more compelling figures in IPL 2026 as a captain, even if his personal batting form has been inconsistent. He has managed just 110 runs across eight matches this season before this game, and the pressure of leading a side while underperforming with the bat is a difficult place to operate from. None of that context excuses what the camera caught. But it does add texture to a situation the Royals could have done without.
The BCCI is expected to act quickly given the public nature of the incident. A fine is the most likely outcome if the explanation is accepted. A match ban, as some sources have suggested, would represent a significant escalation. Either way, Parag faces questions that have nothing to do with his batting average.
Does an incident like this deserve a match ban, or is a fine and a formal warning enough?
