Riyan Parag found himself in the centre of a storm on social media during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday (April 28) at New Chandigarh's Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. A video clip caught by the broadcaster during the match was widely shared on the internet.
The incident happened during the 16th over of RR's innings during their run chase. As the cameras turned towards the Royals' dressing room, Parag's actions were closely scrutinised. Several X users alleged that the Royals captain was smoking a vape.
It is worth noting that, as per the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA), 2019, vaping is banned in India. A remark is still awaited from the Royals managment and Parag, as well as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the viral video.
The act, which was passed in September 2019, prohibits the 'production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale,
This marks the second occasion that a clip from the live broadcaster has left the Royals in trouble. Earlier this season, during RR's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati, team manager Romi Bhinder was seen using his mobile phone in the dugout and was later given a ₹1 lakh fine by the IPL's governing council due to a breach of the Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol.
Riyan Parag Leads Rajasthan Royals To Victory
The Royals ended their two-match losing streak and registered their sixth win of the season in nine games. The 2008 champions became the first team to defeat PBKS this season with a six-wicket victory. The visitors chased a massive total of 223 with four balls to spare.
PBKS posed a total of 222 after Parag won the toss and chose to bowl first. Prabhsimran Singh (59 of 44) and Marcus Stoinis (62 of 22) scored half-centuries for the home side. Later, Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 of 27) and Donavan Ferriera (52 of 26) got to the milestone for the Royals afterVaibhav Sooryavanshi(43 of 16) provided them another quick-fire start.
While the Royals are having a fine campaign inParag'sfirst season as full-time captain of the Royals, the player's own form has been poor. The 24-year-old all-rounder has made just 117 runs in nine innings at an average of 14.62 with a strike rate of 124.46. With the ball, he has two wickets to his name, having bowled four overs this season.
RR are currently third on the table with five wins in eight games. Parag first led the Royals in the 2025 season when Samson was injured. He has eight wins in 17 games to his name while leading the franchise alongside nine defeats.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
