Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder has found himself at the centre of a major controversy after a video showed him using a mobile phone from inside the team dugout during the IPL 20026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Footage from the Royals’ batting phase captured Bhinder peering at the screen with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi seated beside him, and the clip has since gone viral—prompting questions over whether he should face any disciplinary action.
Key takeaways
- Romi Bhinder was filmed using a mobile phone from within the Rajasthan Royals dugout during the IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati.
- The incident drew public scrutiny after images showed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi alongside Bhinder while both appeared to look at the phone.
- The BCCI has confirmed it is investigating the matter and will act if Bhinder is found to have breached the IPL guidelines.
- BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said team managers and doctors are allowed to carry mobiles, with restrictions on where phones can be used.
- Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi called the dugout use “completely a no no” and urged immediate action.
- Rajasthan Royals are next set to play Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Bhinder expected to be involved again on matchday.
BCCI investigation underway after footage goes viral
On Sunday, Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, confirmed that the board is closely examining the incident and will decide on further steps if any wrongdoing is established. He indicated that the authorities have already begun reviewing the footage and that action would follow once the required checks and formalities are completed.
Saikia also clarified that the governing rules permit team managers to use mobile phones inside designated areas. He pointed out that, under the IPL regulations, managers are permitted to keep mobiles in the dressing room, but not in the dugout. The ongoing verification, he said, centres on whether Bhinder’s phone use went beyond the permitted zone at the venue.
“First of all, I would like to say that having the mobile with him is permissible under the regulations because he is the manager. So, managers and doctors are allowed to carry a mobile in the PMOA,” Saikia said, describing that carrying the device is not automatically a violation for team officials.
He then added that the board is working to confirm whether any protocol was actually breached. “That is number one. Second, whether he has violated any protocol or regulations under our existing IPL rules and regulations. We are trying to verify it, and we have started the process,” Saikia remarked.
Saikia further explained that the BCCI’s approach depends on evidence. If no breach is proven, Bhinder would be able to continue his role as team managers can use mobiles, provided they adhere to the location restrictions laid out by the regulations. “So, if anything is found to be negative, we will take action. Otherwise, having the mobile with him, there is no violation of any other regulations. That is my stand at the first stage. But we are trying to find out whether he is carrying the mobile in the designated area or beyond that. That we are trying to find out. The exercise has already started,” he said.
Reactions pile up; Royals turn to next fixture
The controversy also sparked strong commentary from former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who urged the league’s governing structure to intervene quickly. Modi reacted to the video by writing that having a mobile phone in the dugout is unacceptable, adding that if the incident truly occurred, the IPL governing council should take immediate action.
With the fallout continuing, the Rajasthan Royals are scheduled to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Bhinder is expected to remain a prominent presence on the ground, raising the question of whether he will again be seen in the dugout as attention on the viral clip intensifies.
Bhinder has served in multiple backroom roles for Rajasthan since the start of the IPL in 2008. For the current season, he is also acting as the “guardian” for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, linking his responsibilities to the Royals’ ongoing campaign.
