Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag is facing fresh attention after a video surfaced showing him vaping inside the dressing-room during the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday. The incident reportedly took place during the 16th over of RR\u2019s successful chase of 223, with Parag seen using an e-cigarette in the presence of team-mates Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak and Kuldeep Sen.<\/p>\n
Within IPL venues, vaping and smoking are considered strictly off-limits in the stadium environment except in clearly designated areas, in line with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) standards. While the league\u2019s on-ground rules treat smoking-related products as prohibited, e-cigarettes also carry a more serious legal dimension in India.<\/p>\n
India outlawed vapes under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019. The legislation bars the manufacture, sale, purchase, import, export and promotion of e-cigarettes across the country. Non-compliance can attract jail time of up to six months, substantial penalties, or both.<\/p>\n
Even without a widely publicised \u201cvaping\u201d line in every stadium policy document, the BCCI\u2019s expectations around player conduct inside team areas remain stringent. Health and safety protocols generally restrict use of tobacco-linked products in dressing rooms and dugouts, which means Parag could be exposed to disciplinary action if the incident is formally pursued.<\/p>\n
The controversy comes at a time when Parag\u2019s IPL form has already been questioned. The 24-year-old is now leading the Rajasthan Royals in the 2026 campaign after Sanju Samson\u2019s move to Chennai Super Kings. Parag has struggled to maintain batting consistency, managing just 81 runs across seven innings prior to this game\u2014an output that has drawn criticism from sections of fans and former players.<\/p>\n
Despite the off-field distraction, Rajasthan Royals steadied the chase and finished at 222, winning by six wickets and handing Punjab Kings their first defeat of the season.<\/p>\n
Rajasthan Royals were also linked with a separate disciplinary matter earlier in the season. Their team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh and issued an official warning for using a mobile phone in the dugout during the IPL 2026 contest against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on April 10.<\/p>\n
Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag is facing fresh attention after a video surfaced showing him vaping inside the dressing-room during the IPL 2026 match against…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Riyan Parag Vaping Row & Conduct Rules","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Riyan Parag vaping controversy sparks IPL discipline debate\u2014here\u2019s what the league\u2019s conduct rules say, plus why the dressing-room incident matters in 2026.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n