BCCI punishes Riyan Parag in vape incident, charged with penalty and demerit point

Published - 30 Apr 2026, 14:15 IST | Updated - 30 Apr 2026, 14:25 IST

Riyan Parag, captain, Rajasthan Royals, has been fined 25% of his match fee and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during Match No. 40 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Punjab Kings.

Riyan was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to “conduct that brings the game into disrepute". The incident occurred during the second innings when Riyan was seen using a vape inside the dressing room.

Vaping is illegal and a punishable offence in India and attracts a fine of up to INR 5 lakh and a jail sentence of up to three years. Currently, whether any criminal proceedings will be charged on Parag by the law enforcement authorities remains to be seen.

Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee, Amit Sharma.

The 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 the IPL remains intact.