Riyan Parag has been fined 25 percent of his match fee after the BCCI took action over his alleged use of an e cigarette in the Rajasthan Royals dressing room during an IPL match.
The Rajasthan Royals captain came under fire after footage from April 29 spread widely on social media.
The clip appeared to show Parag sitting in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings with what many believed was an e cigarette or vape device.
Smoking is fully banned in stadium and dressing room areas outside approved zones.
India’s 2019 law also bans the production, sale, purchase, import, export, and promotion of e cigarettes and vape devices.
The BCCI charged Parag with a Level 1 offence under Article 2.1 of the IPL Code of Conduct. This rule deals with general misconduct by players and officials.
According to Cricbuzz, the board also used Article 2.21, which covers actions that may harm the image of the game.
This rule can apply to behavior seen as inappropriate or damaging to cricket’s reputation. BCCI and Rajasthan Royals sources said Parag received an official notice on Thursday morning.
He can appeal the punishment if he wants. But that would lead to a formal investigation into the matter. The footage came from Tuesday’s game against Punjab Kings.
During the 16th over of Rajasthan’s innings, cameras appeared to show Parag seated beside teammates Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal while holding the device. Parag is already facing criticism this season.
Questions have been raised over both his captaincy and batting form. In nine matches, he has scored only 117 runs.
