New Delhi, April 29 Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag has come under fire after being caught vaping on camera during his side’s IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh. Footage of Parag, who hit 29 in Tuesday’s game, using a vape device in the dressing room while being around his Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, and Kuldeep Sen.
Footage of Parag, who hit 29 in Tuesday’s game, using a vape device in the dressing room while being around his Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, and Kuldeep Sen. At that time, RR were chasing 223 and visuals of Parag using vape went viral on social media, prompting serious concerns about player conduct in the ten-team competition.
As per the Indian legislation, vaping or the use of e-cigarettes is illegal under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019. The Act prohibits the production, sale, purchase, import, export and advertisement of e-cigarettes and vapes in India, and any violations lead to imprisonment and hefty fines.
“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. Also, this is the second time RR will be facing the music for a non on‑field thing after Romi’s device usage issue,” an IPL source told IANS on Wednesday.
The incident around Parag comes weeks after Bhinder was fined Rs 1 Lakh and given a stern warning for using a mobile phone in the dugout during clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati. With the storm brewing around Parag, it leaves the franchise facing a second disciplinary storm unrelated to on‑field play.
Another IPL official told IANS that awareness of behaviour and actions is of utmost importance from the players in an environment where many broadcast cameras are present and are capturing the smallest of details.
“When so much cameras are around, you have to be aware that anything can be caught and that’s why, it’s on the players to behave well during matches. Riyan could have been a little more careful, considering he’s the team captain and has got a lot of success as an active elite sportsperson at a young age, including playing for India. It's a very big deal for an elite athlete to get caught while doing something like this,” said the official.
The IPL’s playing regulations does not explicitly mention vaping is banned, but regulations emphasise maintaining decorum in dressing rooms and PMOA areas. “There were apparently some conversations during the pre-season captains' meeting about designating certain areas, such as the dressing room, as no‑shoot zones, since players might not be appropriately dressed when present there.
“But till now, it’s unclear what became of those discussions. Having said that, another question to be asked is how did Riyan manage to get a vape inside the dressing room? BCCI will have to tread this very carefully, as the content of those ingredients in vape is still a mystery. Though Nicotine isn’t banned, the BCCI still needs to take strict action against Riyan for this incident,” said a well-placed source in the tournament.
--IANS
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