The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reacted to the controversy involving Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Riyan Parag. After viral videos appeared to show the Royals captain vaping in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), the board issued a statement on possible disciplinary action.
The incident occurred during the live broadcast at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, April 28. The clips allegedly showed Parag vaping after his dismissal, triggering online debate and drawing attention away from Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase against Punjab Kings.
BCCI Issue Official Statement On Riyan Parag’s Vaping Controversy
According to a report by The Indian Express, a BCCI official reacted to the dressing room controversy. The official confirmed that vaping is strictly prohibited during professional matches and that the board will seek an explanation from Riyan Parag.
“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,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
While no official punishment has been announced, multiple reports suggest the BCCI is conducting an internal review. The Rajasthan Royals management are awaiting the final decision before their upcoming IPL match against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur on Friday.
Riyan Parag Endures Disappointing Indian Premier League Season
Besides the vaping controversy, Riyan Parag is enduring a modest IPL campaign for Rajasthan Royals. He has scored just 117 runs in nine matches at an average of 14.63 and a strike rate of 124.47, with a highest score of 29.
The right-handed batter has failed to register a half-century in the ongoing tournament. Parag replaced Sanju Samson as Rajasthan Royals captain after the franchise traded Samson to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Rajasthan Royals retained Parag along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer ahead of the mega auction. However, he has struggled to justify his leadership role and retention value following these consistent batting failures.
Anti-Corruption Controversy Involving Rajasthan Royals
This vaping incident is the second major controversy involving Rajasthan Royals during the ongoing Indian Premier League season, raising fresh concerns about discipline after an earlier breach of restricted-area rules in the tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, TV cameras caught franchise manager Ravinder Bhinder using a mobile phone inside the restricted dressing room during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati on April 10.
Following an official IPL statement, administrators confirmed that Bhinder breached Player and Match Official Area protocols. The Board of Control for Cricket in India directed its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to investigate the matter.
The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit later cleared Bhinder after finding no corruption-related issues with his phone usage. However, the BCCI issued a formal warning and fined him one lakh rupees for violating security guidelines.
Also read: Arshdeep Singh’s poor form a “matter of concern”, warns Piyush Chawla after PBKS’ loss vs RR
