New Delhi: Former Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder has been embroiled in controversy after TV cameras caught him using a mobile phone in the team’s dugout during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The incident was first shared by a social media influencer on Instagram, but it has been confirmed that Bhinder was using a mobile phone during Royals’ six-wicket win in Guwahati on Friday. Then young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi was sitting next to him. An official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also confirmed that Bhinder had violated the rules.
He said, “Yes, Bhinder has indeed violated the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol as mobile phones are banned in the dugout during the match.” According to the rules related to PMOA protocol 2026 on the official website of IPL, “The team manager can use the phone in the dressing room, but not in the dugout.”
Bhinder has been associated with the franchise since its inception and experts believe he should be well aware of the anti-corruption protocols. “This may have happened unknowingly, but action should be taken as it is a violation of rules,” the officer said. Whether a warning or a ban will be imposed will be decided based on the report of the match referee and the ACU (Anti-Corruption Unit). The IPL Governing Council can take a decision on this basis. Bhinder may face more intense scrutiny as Suryavanshi had described him as his ‘local mentor’ after the match.
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