New Delhi, 30 April (H.S.): Riyan Parag received a major setback in IPL 2026 for breaching the code of conduct. Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Parag was caught vaping in the dressing room during the Punjab Kings (PBKS) match and fined 25% of his match fee, along with one demerit point.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated Thursday that Parag violated Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, relating to conduct damaging the game's image. The incident occurred Tuesday in New Chandigarh when Rajasthan Royals chased 222, winning with four balls to spare. Parag accepted his mistake and match referee Amit Sharma's sanction.

BCCI indicated it is considering stricter measures to preserve IPL's reputation, potentially acting against teams, officials, and involved players.

Notably, on April 10 in Guwahati against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder was fined ₹1 lakh for using a mobile phone in the dugout. Bhinder termed it an unintentional lapse and tendered unconditional apology.

Both cases surfaced through social media images, reigniting questions about IPL discipline and rule compliance.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar