Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder has been cleared following an incident in which he was spotted using a mobile phone close to the dugout—an action that falls foul of anti-corruption and match-official area rules. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has ruled that the breach was limited in nature, issuing a warning alongside a nominal fine of Rs 1 lakh after treating it as a first-time lapse.
How the ACSU case unfolded
- The ACSU took up the matter after Bhinder was seen using a phone near the dugout, which is considered a prohibited zone under the rules governing the PMOA.
- A show-cause notice was issued, followed by an inquiry into the circumstances of the incident.
- In the inquiry, Bhinder was found to have acted indiscreetly by using the phone near the dugout.
- At the same time, the ACSU found no evidence suggesting any mala fide intent behind the act.
- Given that it was his first recorded offence, the breach was handled leniently, with only a warning and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
- Bhinder was informed that the cautious approach was influenced by his long association with the IPL, his experience, the first-time nature of the breach, and the explanation relating to a possible medical emergency.
Under the Anti-Corruption and Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) regulations, mobile phones are not permitted within the PMOA. Team managers may carry phones and have access to them, but they are only allowed to use them from inside the dressing room—not near the dugout or in restricted zones.
Bhinder has been linked to the IPL since its opening season and has been the Rajasthan Royals manager since 2008. The ACSU’s leniency also took into account his documented history of serious lung-related problems, which he is understood to have communicated to the BCCI in advance.
The incident occurred during the Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match in Guwahati on April 10. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was also seen seated beside Bhinder at the time, has not been pulled into the disciplinary process.
