Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder has avoided a harsher punishment after the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit reviewed an incident in the dugout involving the use of a mobile phone. Instead of a severe sanction, he has been issued a fine and a formal warning following the investigation into his explanation.
Quick facts
- Romi Bhinder was fined and warned for using a mobile phone in the dugout.
- The ACSU investigated his response to a show-cause notice.
- Investigators accepted his medical reasoning for needing the phone due to his health condition.
- There was no discussion about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was seated next to Bhinder during the incident.
- The incident happened during the RR chase versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati last week.
- The offence took place in the 11th over of the chase.
- Under PMOA rules, phones may be used in the dressing room by team managers, but not in the dugout.
Officials involved in the probe were satisfied with the rationale Bhinder provided. The assessment focused on his medical explanation and how his current health situation required him to keep and use the phone while in the dugout.
As for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi—the youngster seated to Bhinder’s right during the moment in question—there was no separate thread of discussion in the investigation. A senior BCCI official said Sooryavanshi is a “kid” and that the franchise can do a better job of explaining the rules to him, adding that there is no benefit in intimidating a young team member.
What the PMOA protocol says
Under the PMOA Protocol, managers are permitted to use phones in the dressing room, but not in the dugout. The guidelines also set limits on what electronic communication equipment can be used and by whom inside the PMOA.
In the PMOA area, mobile phones and other electronic communication devices are not meant to be used except by a small number of designated members. The team manager is allowed to use a phone in the dressing room zone, but the protocol is explicit that this is not permitted in the dugout.
Despite Bhinder breaching the protocol on the ground, the BCCI and the ACSU unit concluded that his explanation was sufficient. The outcome reflects that while the rule violation was noted, the investigators were persuaded by the medical context presented to them.
Bhinder was seen using a mobile phone in the team’s dugout during Rajasthan Royals’ match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati last week. The incident contravened the PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) protocol because the phone was used from the dugout rather than the permitted dressing room area.
The moment occurred in the 11th over of the Royals’ chase. At that time, Bhinder appeared to be looking at and using his phone, while Sooryavanshi—positioned to his right—was seen peeping at the screen.
Alongside the team manager, the media manager is also allowed to carry and use a phone within the PMOA zone. However, the protocol makes clear that any such usage is tightly defined and governed by the rules laid out before the tournament began.
