While the Rajasthan Royals (RR) are basking in the glory of an impressive victory over table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS), captain Riyan Parag has landed himself in choppy waters.
Parag has found himself in the ire of the fans and could also be placed in a dicey spot with the BCCI and the IPL after a video of him appearing to be vaping in the dressing room during the PBKS vs RR match went viral.
On Tuesday evening, Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS were handed their first defeat of the IPL 2026 season as Parag’s side chased down the target of 223 with six wickets in hand and four balls remaining.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blasted 43 off 16 balls, and Yashavi Jaiswal struck 51 off 27. PBKS bowlers made a comeback with wickets in the middle overs.
However, PBKS’ death overs bowling concerns were aggravated as Donovan Ferreira thumped 52* off 26 balls and Shubham Dubey plundered 31* off 12 balls. The duo took RR over the line, with RR now taking the third spot in the points table, having won six out of nine matches so far.
Watch: Riyan Parag caught vaping during PBKS vs RR
Parag has been out of form with the bat this season. But his vaping row has added more trouble, and the RR captain could be required to answer by the officials.
The fans lashed out at Parag on social media for an act unbecoming of a franchise captain and a role model, and the tremors must have been felt in the upper departments of the board.
Will the BCCI take any action against Riyan Parag over vaping during the match?
Less than 24 hours after the incident, a BCCI official reportedly made a comment, confirming that the board will demand an explanation from the RR skipper. The BCCI source added that any further action on Parag will be taken only after he has been given an opportunity to give his clarification.
“We will be seeking an explanation from Riyan on this issue, as vaping is not allowed. Depending on his explanation, the IPL will take further course of action,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
In the chase, Parag scored 29 runs off 16 balls. This was his highest score in nine innings in IPL 2026. The right-hander has managed 117 runs in nine outings to the crease at an average of 14 and a lowly strike rate of 124.
The RR captain has failed to make any significant impact with the bat, but his flop show has largely been swept under the rug as RR have been a formidable unit, riding on the wave of the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi.
Parag became RR’s full-time captain this year after Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings in return for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
While his bat has been mostly quiet, Parag has been impressive as a captain, making sound tactical decisions on and off the field, leading RR to the third spot despite the absence of the injured Curran. However, RR will need match-winning runs from Parag soon if they are to lock in their second IPL trophy.
Regarding Parag’s vape row, and BCCI’s apparent involvement, RR would want to clear it out soon before their next match.
Rajasthan’s next IPL 2026 encounter is on May 1 against Delhi Capitals in Jaipur.
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