In a shameful incident, Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Riyan Parag was caught red-handed vaping inside the dressing room during the IPL 2026 game against PBKS on Tuesday. The use of e-cigarettes or a vaping device is banned in India under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019. Visuals of RR’s Parag using the vape / e-cigarette went viral on social media shortly after the game, with fans calling out the player and the team management for the latter’s act.
Riyan Parag uses e-cigarette in dressing room amid game
The incident occurred during the 15th over of RR’s run-chase in the game against PBKS in Mullanpur on Tuesday. Visuals of the incident, which have gone viral, show Parag puffing on a vape device while being seated in the dressing room while his teammates are seated around him. As per Times of India, a source has claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) won’t take this matter lightly and that the RR management and the player will need to keep answers ready over using a vape, which is banned. It is pertinent to point out that smoking is banned in the dressing room and the stadium premises and is permitted only in designated areas.
“Unlike smoking a cigarette, you don’t know what you are inhaling when it comes to vaping. There is a reason why it is banned in the country and one has no clue about the ingredients which go inside it and whether it meets the safety guidelines. Especially for an elite athlete. The franchise and the captain will need to keep their reasons ready because the BCCI is unlikely to come down soft on an incident like this,” said the source.
This isn’t the first time that RR and their team management have been embroiled in controversy in the ongoing IPL 2026. Earlier this month, RR team manager Romi Bhinder was caught using a mobile phone in the team dugout, which is against the rules, and visuals of the incident showed a player (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) looking into the device as the manager was using it. The BCCI handed Bhinder a nominal fine while RR sources claimed that he was using the phone due to a medical emergency.
Talking about the PBKS vs RR match, the Royals ended the Kings’ unbeaten run in IPL 2026 by handing them a 6-wicket defeat.
Cricket
Riyan Parag caught using banned vape inside dressing room during PBKS vs RR IPL 2026 match
