BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has reacted sharply to reports that “unauthorised persons” have been seen moving around IPL teams and players, insisting the Board and the league will not tolerate breaches of anti-corruption rules. Saikia said the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council are preparing an advisory to rein in the “anomalies and irregularities” observed during the ongoing season, with several incidents linked directly to violations of anti-corruption protocols.
Quick facts
- BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia says reports point to unauthorised people travelling with IPL squads and visiting restricted areas.
- The BCCI and IPL Governing Council are preparing an advisory to address anomalies and irregularities in the current season.
- Saikia cited breaches involving team staff and players, including a dugout mobile phone incident and vaping in a dressing room.
- He warned that future violations will trigger stringent disciplinary action by the BCCI and the IPL organising committee.
Speaking on Thursday, Saikia said the Board has identified multiple irregularities involving both franchises and individual players. He added that the advisory is expected to be released later in the day, aimed at tightening compliance and stopping repeat conduct that undermines the league’s integrity framework.
Saikia specifically pointed to cases where unauthorised individuals were reportedly travelling with team members, including on team buses. He also mentioned sightings of people entering team hotels and even reaching players’ or officials’ rooms without permission, calling the pattern a direct clash with the anti-corruption protocols the IPL is built to enforce.
Rajasthan Royals incidents highlighted
Saikia referenced Rajasthan Royals being brought under scrutiny in two separate moments last month. First, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined ₹1 lakh and warned after he used a mobile phone in the dugout during the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati.
Later, Royals captain Sanju Samson was reportedly seen vaping inside the dressing room during the game against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh. Saikia used these examples to underline that such behaviour is not being treated as a minor lapse, but as a breach that damages the sanctity of team-controlled spaces.
The BCCI secretary also raised concerns about team owners and officials mixing with players in restricted areas. He said protocols are in place for a reason, and that any dilution in how they are implemented amounts to a violation of the “sanctity of the dugout” and the wider team environment.
“We have noticed some team owners and officials entering areas where they are not permitted to be,” Saikia said. He added that while everyone is expected to follow established procedures, the Board has seen instances where execution of those rules has weakened.
Saikia stressed that the BCCI is taking the matter seriously, pointing out that the dugout phone incident and the vaping case have already drawn public attention. He reiterated that the Board’s response will be firm and that it will not remain inactive while such issues continue to surface.
Closing his remarks, Saikia made it clear that the age of leniency is over. He said the advisory will be enforced strictly and that any future breach—whoever the offender may be—will bring stringent disciplinary action from both the BCCI and the IPL organising committee.
