The controversy around Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder and a mobile phone in the dugout has now moved into the formal investigation stage, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issuing a notice and ordering a probe. A recent media report on Monday also suggested that Bhinder’s actions may have been prompted by a “medical emergency.”
During the Royals’ earlier IPL encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati last week, Bhinder was captured using a mobile phone while seated in the dugout. The incident was flagged as a breach of the IPL’s Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) guidelines. Under the protocol, team managers can only use mobile phones inside the dressing room, while electronic devices are restricted in the dugout to the role of the designated team analyst.
As reported in The New Indian Express, Bhinder has been served with a notice by the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). The unit has opened a case and has provided Bhinder a 48-hour window to submit his explanation. Speaking to the publication, IPL Governing Council chairman Arun Dhumal said, “We have asked the ACSU to investigate and file a report on the incident.”
The same report, however, added that individuals familiar with the matter claimed Bhinder’s phone use could have been connected to a medical situation. It was also said that he has previously faced serious health concerns, including a collapsed lung that led to an extended hospital stay in Nagpur. A former ACSU official further pointed out that while team managers may carry phones for medical necessities, any use must still be limited to the dressing room.
Another source elaborated that Bhinder has dealt with significant medical setbacks, including weight loss of more than 10 kilos, and that he also has asthma. The source added that due to his condition, he is advised against frequent stair climbing or walking long distances. They said Bhinder understands the rules as he has been involved with multiple roles within the franchise, but the phone was reportedly kept with him for medical reasons. The source also noted that holding a mobile phone and a laptop in the dugout is permitted under the PMOA protocol, and that the “issue” appears to be the manner of use—claiming Bhinder was not placing or receiving calls, but was instead scrolling on his phone. They added that Bhinder has time and intends to present his perspective to the ACSU officials.
Tensions around the episode rose further after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, positioned next to Bhinder in the dugout, was seen briefly looking at the phone in the viral clip that brought the matter to wider attention.
One of the sources also expressed hope that the ACSU team will take Bhinder’s medical circumstances into account before reaching a final judgment. They argued that because Bhinder reportedly needed to walk at least 50 steps to climb around 20 steps in order to reach the dressing room, and then repeat the movement to return to the dugout, the situation may have led him to check the phone while still in the dugout.
