The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has fined Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag for his ‘smoking act’ in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings earlier this week. For the unversed, Parag was caught vaping inside the dressing room when the Royals were chasing a mammoth target of 223 runs.
The video of the same went viral on social media soon and Parag has been fined 25% of his match fee. He has also accumulated one Demerit point for breaching Level 1ย of the IPLโs Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials. The RR skipperย was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPLโs Code of Conduct, which relates to โconduct that brings the game into disrepute.”
The sanctions were imposed on Riyan Parag by match referee Amit Sharma, even as the former admitted the offence and accepted the punishment. Moreover, the BCCI also said that it isย exploring options for stringent actions to be taken against erring teams going forward. “The BCCI is also 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,” BCCI said in the statement.
A forgettable IPL 2026 for Riyan Parag
Rajasthan Royals are doing well this season under Parag’s captaincy, with six wins in nine matches. However, the captain is not able to lead from the front with the bat and the latest controversy must have put a lot of pressure on him. Parag has so far scored only 117 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 124.46 and a mediocre average of 14.62, with 29 being his highest score. Notably, his 29-run knock also came in the game against PBKS, where he was found vaping inside the dressing room.
The Rajasthan Royals are next scheduled to face Delhi Capitals on Friday (May 1) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
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