Watch: Riyan Parag caught vaping in dressing room during PBKS vs RR clash in IPL 2026

In an evening when the Rajasthan Royals (RR) earned a fine victory during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, a controversy took place during the game. 

The Royals are in third position of the points table with six victories in nine clashes at a net run rate of +0.617. Punjab, meanwhile, experienced its first defeat of the competition but still sits at the top of the points table at a net run rate of +1.043.

Riyan Parag caught red-handed while vaping in dressing room

The RR captain, Riyan Parag, has been in the spotlight again, as he was seen in the dressing room during the Punjab game. A clip in the live broadcast went viral on social media platforms, where he appears using a vape. It happened during the 16th over of the innings.

The timing has added to the attention as the right-handed batter has been under the microscope for his poor captaincy and underwhelming show with the bat, creating another layer to an already closely watched campaign. 

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The clip showed that Parag was seemingly using a vape while the match was still on. The visuals were picked up during the broadcast and circulated on social media.

The IPL disciplinary rules state that smoking is prohibited in the dressing rooms and stadium premises, except in the designated areas. The clip has raised eyebrows as e-cigarettes or vapes are banned in India under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act 2019, which doesn’t allow the production, sale, purchase, and use of them, attracting heavy fines and even imprisonment.

Parag’s struggling IPL 2026 campaign

As the Royals made their way to the successful chase of 223 runs in the game against PBKS, Riyan smashed a decent knock of 29 runs off 16 balls, which was a very brief contribution in a chase that finished by Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey.

See Also: Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes Dhoni-like helicopter six during PBKS vs RR clash in IPL 2026

Parag’s overall number in 2026 is not good as he has nailed only 117 runs in nine matches at an average of under 15 and a strike rate of 124.17, adding pressure around his leadership.

Fans react to shocking incident in IPL 2026

Here is how the fans have been shocked by the incident of Parag in the IPL 2026-