Rajasthan Royals (RR) have found themselves in a difficult position after a stunning moment was captured on live TV during their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur. Captain Riyan Parag, who was already having a mixed performance with the bat, is now in the headlines due to a shocking incident.
caught on camera Riyan Parag “Vaping” was done inside the Rajasthan Royals dressing room during the live IPL 2026 match against PBKS on April 28 and the clip went viral everywhere.
Camera captures Riyan Parag’s “vaping” moment during live IPL 2026 match
As the camera panned towards the RR dressing room, Parag was seen taking a puff. Later, he came out and played a quickfire inning of 29 runs off 16 balls, which helped his team chase the big score of 223. But everyone ignored his innings and only talked about that “vaping” moment.
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This became a big issue as e-cigarettes have been banned in India since 2019. The law clearly states that using, selling or promoting such products may result in strict punishment. In such a situation, when the young IPL captain was seen doing this openly on live TV, it turned into a big controversy within a few minutes.
BCCI may take action against Riyan Parag
Social media was filled with reactions. Some fans were shocked, while others criticized the act, saying player One should be more careful at this stage. RR has not yet commented on the Riyan Parag controversy, but it is being said that BCCI may be forced to take action for his careless act.
PTI quoted a source close to the IPL as saying, “A lot of players smoke e-cigarettes, but they don’t do it in the dressing room. Doing it with so many cameras is very risky and careless. Parag’s open vaping may lead to BCCI taking action.”
Even before IPL 2026, captains have raised questions on the privacy of the dressing room.
Meanwhile, the Riyan Parag incident has rekindled the discussion about dressing room secrecy. An IPL source revealed that captains of some teams had expressed concerns about dressing room footage being captured on cameras during live matches even before the start of the Captain’s Meet. ipl 2026.
Players feel that the dressing room should be a private place, but broadcasters show everything during IPL matches. Nevertheless, the IPL and BCCI reportedly felt that players have to be extra careful no matter what, citing the “vaping” controversy as they are always being monitored.
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BCCI helpless, but scolded Riyan Parag for negligence
“It was not specifically related to the use of e-cigarettes in the dressing room. It was broadly around the privacy of their players. There are times when players are not fully dressed in the dressing room or want to avoid the cameras,” the source said.
He further added, “He was told that it is up to the broadcaster to take a decision on cameras showing the feed from the dressing room, and not the BCCI. After this incident, perhaps it can be reviewed. Having said that, it was negligence on Parag’s part, and it is difficult to defend something like this. An elite athlete being caught smoking like this is not setting a good example for the public.”
Parag’s image got a big blow
In particular, e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and not good for health, and when a professional athlete is seen doing so without hesitation, it can influence young fans in the wrong way. The incident has thrown Parag into a serious storm midway through IPL 2026, and now all eyes are on the BCCI to see if they take any action against the young all-rounder.
