Riyan Parag Vaping Controversy: Captain did not want cameras to enter the dressing room, demand was raised in the meeting before the start of IPL

New Delhi: The controversy that started over Riyan Parag, who was caught smoking e-cigarette in the dressing room during IPL 2026, is not stopping. The captain of Rajasthan Royals, who was struggling to score runs in the current season, was caught on camera during the live match against Punjab Kings. Since then there has been an uproar on social media. IPL and BCCI officials described Riyan Parag as extremely careless in the era of surveillance of social media and TV cameras. Riyan Parag had scored 29 runs in 16 balls in his team’s victory.

Many players smoke e-cigarettes
A reliable source in the IPL said, ‘Many players consume e-cigarettes, but they do not do so in the dressing room. Doing this with so many cameras is extremely risky and careless. BCCI may be forced to take action after Parag is caught smoking e-cigarette openly. No official of Rajasthan Royals team was available to comment on this matter.

The captain does not want cameras to enter the dressing room.
Another IPL source told PTI that the issue of players’ privacy in the dressing room was raised in the captains’ meeting in Mumbai before the ongoing tournament. Some captains had objected to the cameras being turned towards the dressing room during the live telecast. The source said, ‘This was not directly related to the use of e-cigarettes in the dressing room. This was largely related to the privacy of the players. Sometimes players are not fully dressed in the dressing room or they want to avoid the cameras. According to the source, the players were told that it is not the BCCI’s job but the broadcaster’s job to take a decision regarding the cameras showing footage from the dressing room. It can be reviewed after this incident.

E-cigarette is banned in the country
The Indian government banned e-cigarettes in 2019, which included its production, sale and distribution. In this regard, according to the law, for the first time the culprit can be imprisoned for up to one year or/and a fine of one lakh rupees can be imposed on him.