Riyan Parag has been hit with a sanction equal to 25% of his match fee after a vaping-related “smoking act” was judged to have brought the game into disrepute. The decision was communicated to the Rajasthan Royals captain through a formal notice, with the incident captured on camera inside the dressing room during an IPL game.
Quick facts
- Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag fined 25% of his match fee
- BCCI treated the matter as a Level 1 offence under the Player Code of Conduct
- Incident occurred on camera in the dressing room during a recent IPL match
- Parag was reported to have received the notice on Thursday morning (April 30)
- Match referee announced the fine; no information of a hearing was available
The BCCI invoked Level 1 grounds under Article 2.1 of the Player Code of Conduct, which is used for general breaches not specifically spelled out for players or officials. Parag’s conduct was flagged after footage surfaced showing him smoking inside the dressing room during the Royals’ match.
With Parag’s IPL season contract valued at Rs 14 crore, his approximate per-match earnings come out to roughly Rs 1 crore. On that basis, a 25% penalty would translate to about Rs 25 lakh, which the governing body and team circles have viewed as a significant punishment for what was described as a first-time case.
There was also an additional legal interpretation at play. With no clear previous example or explicit dressing-room smoking clause cited, the BCCI applied Article 2.21, a provision intended to cover categories of behaviour that are not specifically or adequately addressed by the Code’s listed offences. The article’s purpose is broad: it targets conduct that undermines the standing of the sport, including misconduct in public settings.
The Code’s explanation around Article 2.21 further notes that, depending on seriousness and context, it can be used to restrict conduct such as public acts of unruly behaviour and inappropriate remarks harmful to the interests of the game. It also allows assessment of recklessness and avoidable conduct.
When determining how severe the breach is, the Code states that the situation’s background and whether the action was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental should be considered. It also describes a severity spectrum running from minor misconduct, which fits Level 1, up to extremely serious conduct that falls under Level 4.
Notice, appeal and match context
Officials from within the BCCI and within the Rajasthan Royals set-up indicated that Parag was served the notice on Thursday morning, April 30. The player has the option to appeal, though that route could trigger further scrutiny and possible additional steps in the process.
It is understood that Parag is likely to settle the fine and move on. The Royals captain was filmed vaping an e-cigarette inside the dressing room during the team’s match against Punjab Kings, held in Mullanpur on Tuesday night, April 28.
The fine was announced by the match referee after applying the relevant Code provisions. While the process was set in motion through the notice, there was no immediate update indicating that a hearing had taken place.
