Jaipur, Apr 30:
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has courted controversy after TV cameras caught him “vaping” in the dressing room during his team’s Indian Premier League game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night.
The act caught on camera triggered immediate reaction on social media. Parag made a 16-ball 29 in his team’s successful chase of 223.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
“A lot of players consume e-cigarettes but they don’t do it in the dressing room. It is too risky and careless to be doing that with so many cameras around. With Parag caught vaping so openly, the BCCI might be forced to act,” said a well placed IPL source.
No Rajasthan Royals team official was available for a comment.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
The issue of players’ privacy in the dressing room was raised at the Captains Meeting in Mumbai ahead of IPL 2026. Some of the captains had raised an objection to cameras panning to the dressing room during the live broadcast.
“It was not specifically related to the use of e-cigarettes in the dressing room. It was broadly around their players’ privacy. There are times when players are not fully dressed in the dressing room or may want to avoid cameras.
“They were told that is up to the broadcaster and not the BCCI to decide over cameras showing the feed from the dressing room. After this incident, it perhaps may be reviewed. “Having said that, it was careless from Parag and it is difficult to defend something like this. An elite athlete caught smoking like this is not setting a good example for the public,” said the source.