Rajasthan Royals Captain Riyan Parag has been fined 25% of his match fee and awarded one demerit point for smoking an e-cigarette in the changing room in match 40 of the IPL 2026 against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh on April 28.
Parag was found guilty under the IPL Code of Conduct (Article 2.21) for bringing the franchise into disrepute. Parag did not challenge his act to the match referee, Amit Sharma, and admitted guilt.
The announcement was made on April 30. For the record, smoking e-cigarettes to get the effects of nicotine is prohibited in India, and this falls under IPL misdemeanours.
The Incident in the Dressing Room
The offence occurred while Rajasthan were fielding against Punjab. Footage from the camera caught Parag smoking an e-cigarette in the dressing room, while sitting with his teammates Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal. This video clip was widely shared on social media in the immediate aftermath of the match, pushing the BCCI for a response.
The Rajasthan Royals secured a second consecutive victory by six wickets with four balls to spare, and their sixth win of the season. But this win was quickly marred by the off-field incident.
BCCI Says Possibly Tighter Punishment
Though Parag has been fined 25% of the match fee for his actions, the official BCCI statement indicated this could be just the beginning. The board said it is “exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials and player/s to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact.”
This leaves the possibilities open for sanctions that may go beyond just Parag and could include the Rajasthan Royals franchise or team management. It’s unknown if this will lead to further disciplinary action, but the wording used by the governing body hasn’t gone unnoticed.
It isn’t the first team management problem to arise this IPL season for the Rajasthan Royals. Just under two weeks prior to the vaping incident, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined INR 1 lakh for using a mobile phone in the dugout during their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10 in Guwahati. This incident was also shared on social media when photos were captured.
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Fans Question Consistency of IPL Punishments
The penalty has divided opinion. Some fans believe a 25% fine is not enough for an offence relating to a banned substance in India. Some have pointed to incidents during the game where more severe fines have been levied for much lesser offences, suggesting an inconsistency when it comes to the IPL’s code of conduct.
Parag’s on-field performance has also come under question this IPL. While captaining the Rajasthan Royals to six victories in nine games, he has only scored 117 runs at an average of 14.62. The vape incident further adds to the pressure on Parag off the field as he struggles to score in this IPL. He’s still eligible to play and captain the team.
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