Riyan Parag Cops Hefty Fine for Dressing Room Vaping

Riyan Parag has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for his 'smoking act', deemed to have brought the game into disrepute.

The BCCI charged the Rajasthan Royals skipper with a Level 1 offence under Article 2.21 of the Player Code of Conduct, covering unspecified breaches that bring the game into disrepute. Parag was caught on camera vaping inside the dressing room during a recent IPL match.

Given his Rs 14 crore contract, his per-match fee is around Rs 1 crore, making the 25 per cent fine approximately Rs 25 lakh — a heavy penalty for a first-time offence.

In the absence of a precedent for dressing room smoking, the BCCI has applied Article 2.21, which covers offences not specifically mentioned in the COC and also includes acts of misconduct in public places.

The article covers public acts of misconduct, unruly public behaviour, and inappropriate comments detrimental to the game. When assessing seriousness, factors like whether the conduct was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable, or accidental are considered.

Parag was served the notice on Thursday morning (April 30). He has the right to appeal, though that could lead to further proceedings. It is learnt the player will comply with the fine and move on.

The RR captain was caught on camera vaping an e-cigarette during the Royals' match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday night (April 28). The match referee has announced the fine.

BCCI exploring options for stringent action

"The BCCI is also exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials and player/s to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact," the Board stated.

Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee Amit Sharma.