The Board of Control for Cricket in India has said it will take “appropriate action” against teams found violating norms during the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 season, following recent controversies involving the Rajasthan Royals.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board is reviewing options to enforce discipline after multiple breaches were reported. “We are exploring some other options about how to bring the teams which are violating the norms,” Saikia said on the sidelines of India’s squad announcement for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Mumbai.
The Rajasthan Royals came under scrutiny twice this season. Team manager Ravinder Singh Bhinder was seen using a mobile phone near the dugout during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10. In a separate incident, captain Riyan Parag was caught vaping inside the dressing room during a match against Punjab Kings.
Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh after describing the breach as inadvertent and issuing an apology to the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit. Parag, meanwhile, was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point.
Saikia indicated that further action could go beyond individual penalties. “We will be taking some action. We are looking at the various terms and conditions and protocols of IPL [around] how the teams behave,” he said.
He stressed that responsibility lies with the entire team ecosystem. “It is not just players or officials. As a team, they have to maintain some decorum so that the image of the IPL is never adversely affected. To ensure that we have to take a call and we will be taking some action,” Saikia added.
Addressing the issue, Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara acknowledged the negative perception created by the incidents but said corrective steps had been taken.
“I think it is, of course, a reflection that is not positive on the team, a controversy of any kind. All I can say is that both of those have been addressed by the BCCI and the franchise. And then in terms of the culture, we always try to have a very positive, healthy culture. We have our own values we adhere to. And the constant reminder to the players is to make sure they’re responsible to the franchise and to our culture and our values,” Sangakkara said.
Leave a Reply