Riyan Parag vaping controversy: Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been in the news for the wrong reasons only, as skipper Riyan Parag was seen smoking an e-cigarette inside the dressing room during a clash against Punjab Kings on April 26 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Later, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) fined Parag 25 per cent of his match fee and a demerit point to his record.
Kumar Sangakkara issues warning to Riyan Parag
Earlier on Thursday, BCCI confirmed the act by releasing a statement on the offense admitted by Riyan Parag.
“Riyan Parag was found to have breached Article 2.21 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which relates to conduct that brings the game into disrepute," said BCCI.
Reacting to the incident on Thursday, RR's head coach Kumar Sangakkara has issued a strong warning to Riyan to maintain the team's culture by avoiding such incidents.
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"Such controversies are no positives for the team and all I can say is that both issues have been addressed by the BCCI and the franchise. It is a reminder to the players that they have to maintain the team’s culture," said Kumar Sangakkara.
Riyan Parag's cold form in IPL 2026
Apart from the off-field issues, Riyan Parag has failed to perform consistently with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2026. The RR skipper has scored only 117 runs at an average of 14.62 and a strike rate of 124.46 with zero fifty-plus scores after playing nine games.
Despite the team's good form, Riyan Parag has to contribute some big chunk of runs to achieve the title this season. RR will face Axar Patel's Delhi Capitals in their upcoming IPL 2026 match on Friday, May 1 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.