Riyan Parag vaping video exposes unresolved privacy debate in IPL dressing rooms: 'BCCI might be forced to act'

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has found himself at the centre of a controversy after a video showing him using an e-cigarette or vape inside the dressing room during the IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings went viral on social media. The incident was captured during the official broadcast feed of the match.

The issue has opened up a legal angle, as e-cigarettes are completely banned in India under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019. The law makes possession and use of such devices illegal, with penalties including imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

More from Firstcricket

"A lot of players consume e-cigarettes but they don't do it in the dressing room. It is too risky and careless to be doing that with so many cameras around. With Parag caught vaping so openly, the BCCI might be forced to act," an IPL source told PTI about the Parag incident.

The BCCI has reportedly asked for an explanation from Parag, and depending on that, the IPL official will take further action.

Parag incident revives IPL captains' concerns

Meanwhile, the incident has also reignited a discussion that IPL captains had reportedly raised before the start of the season when they were called for a meeting by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The issue was related to player privacy inside dressing rooms.

According to a PTI report, several captains had objected during a pre-season meeting with the BCCI and IPL officials regarding the presence of cameras that sometimes capture dressing room visuals during live telecasts. Their concern was not related to vaping or any specific behaviour, but rather the broader issue of privacy.

"It was not specifically related to the use of e-cigarettes in the dressing room. It was broadly around their players' privacy. There are times when players are not fully dressed in the dressing room or may want to avoid cameras. They were told that is up to the broadcaster and not the BCCI to decide over cameras showing the feed from the dressing room. After this incident, it perhaps may be reviewed," PTI quoted another source as saying.

"Having said that, it was careless from Parag and it is difficult to defend something like this. An elite athlete caught smoking like this is not setting a good example for the public," the source added.

Rajasthan Royals are yet to react to the incident. This is not the first controversy involving the franchise this season. Earlier, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs 1 lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada was recently seen smoking a cigarette at what looked like their team hotel. The video went viral on social media and sparked debate as well.