Riyan Parag Fined, Receives Demerit Point After Vaping Incident in IPL 2026 Dressing Room

New Delhi, April 2026 : Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag has been fined 25 percent of his match fee and handed a demerit point after he was found using a vape inside the dressing room during the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh.

According to an official statement issued by the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, Parag admitted to breaching Level 1 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with “conduct that brings the game into disrepute.” The incident took place during the second innings of the match, when television cameras captured the RR skipper using a vape inside the dressing room.

The visuals quickly went viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism and debate within the IPL ecosystem regarding player discipline and conduct standards.

“The incident occurred during the second innings when Riyan was seen using a vape inside the dressing room. Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the Match Referee, Amit Sharma,” the IPL statement said.

It is understood that once the footage came to the attention of the match officials, on-field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon formally reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma, leading to disciplinary action.

While the IPL Code of Conduct does not explicitly mention vaping, it clearly mandates maintaining discipline and decorum in dressing rooms and player areas. Authorities treated the act as a violation under broader provisions related to conduct that damages the image of the game.

The statement further indicated that additional action against the Rajasthan Royals franchise could also be considered. “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials and player/s to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact,” it added.

Code of Conduct Explained

The IPL Code of Conduct’s Article 2.21 is designed to address any behaviour that brings the game into disrepute and is not specifically covered under other rules. This includes a wide range of actions such as public misconduct, unruly behaviour, and inappropriate statements that could harm the image of the sport.

The regulation also notes that the severity of punishment depends on the nature of the offence, whether it was intentional, reckless, negligent, or accidental. Offences are graded from Level 1 (minor) to Level 4 (most serious).

In Parag’s case, the breach was classified as a Level 1 offence, resulting in a 25 percent match fee fine and one demerit point.

Legal Context of Vaping in India

It is also important to note that vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes are illegal in India under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019. The law bans the production, sale, purchase, import, export, and advertisement of e-cigarettes and related products. Violations can lead to imprisonment as well as heavy financial penalties.

Previous Disciplinary Action Involving RR

This is not the first disciplinary issue involving the Rajasthan Royals team during the season. Earlier, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined ₹1 lakh and issued a stern warning for using a mobile phone inside the dugout during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati.

Upcoming Match

Following this controversy, Rajasthan Royals will next face Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday. The team will be looking to shift focus back to on-field performance amid growing scrutiny off the field.