Not only Riyan Parag, these players have also smoked during the match; You will be surprised to know the name!

IPL 2026 Vaping Controversy: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has been embroiled in a controversy during IPL 2026. During the match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals played in Mullanpur on April 28, he was seen vaping in the dressing room. This incident happened in the 16th over of Rajasthan’s innings, when the camera went towards the dressing room and Parag was seen using vape. Due to the ban on vaping in India, this matter has become a topic of discussion.

Team’s performance good, captain’s form weak

Under the captaincy of Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals are performing well this season and are consistently in the top-4. However, his personal performance has not been special. He has scored only 117 runs in the 9 matches played so far. He was seen vaping only after getting out in the match against Punjab, which has raised many questions among the fans.

Such cases have come to light before in IPL

This is not the first time that a cricketer has been seen vaping or smoking during a match. Aaron Finch was also seen vaping during the IPL in 2020, when the tournament was held in the UAE. Apart from this, in January 2026, AB de Villiers was captured on camera while vaping in the stadium during the SA20 League. However, vaping is not banned in South Africa.

Smoking cases have also come to light in the World Cup

Such examples have been seen before in the cricket world. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum had revealed that he smoked in the toilet during the 2015 World Cup semi-final. At the same time, England all-rounder Ben Stokes also admitted that he smoked in the washroom of Lord’s during the 2019 World Cup final.

Also read: Harbhajan Singh’s temper rises, reaches High Court after writing ‘traitor’, opens front against Punjab government

Riyan Parag fined

This incident came to light during the match played between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings in the 40th match of IPL. In the video, Riyan Parag was seen vaping in the dressing room. Considering him guilty, the IPL has imposed a fine of 25 percent of the match fee. Besides, he has also been given one demerit point. According to the board, Parag has violated Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct, which deals with conduct that is detrimental to the image of the game.