RR Manager Romi Bhinder Violates PMOA Protocol (Screengrab) It’s been almost two days since Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Binder was seen using a mobile phone in the team’s dugout, a violation of the ‘PMOA (Protocol of Players and Match Umpires) – 2026’, but the BCCI is yet to act on the serious breach. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said they would thoroughly “investigate the matter” before reaching a logical conclusion.“Certain individuals are allowed to carry phones in the dugout and Romi Bhinder as a manager is allowed to carry them. But we have to thoroughly investigate where exactly the incident happened and whether the phone was used. We will do an internal investigation before we come to a logical conclusion,” Saikia told TimesofIndia.com.
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‘Bowlers have it tough’ – Glenn Phillips breaks down modern T20 cricket When informed that the PMOA code clearly states that phones cannot be used in an underground shelter – which the official document defines as part of the PMOA area – Saikia promised a thorough and transparent investigation.“Like I said, we will look into it. We can’t act on what is being said. We will see pictures, video and whatever we can get before we come to a conclusion,” Saikia added.It can be confirmed that the matter is yet to come to the table of the IPL Governing Council (GC). It now remains to be seen whether Bhinder will be allowed to sit in the dugout during RR’s away match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Making the situation more serious is the fact that while Bhinder was using the phone, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was seen looking at the screen during his party’s chase. The act was captured live by television cameras and caused a huge uproar.IPL founding chairman Lalit Modi urged the GC to take “immediate action”. He even questioned the role of the anti-corruption unit when Bhinder accidentally used his phone during the match. “HAVING CELL PHONE IN FIRE – IS A ABSOLUTE NO NO. Really happened. I hope not. If so. Then @IPL board needs to CREAME IMMEDIATELY,” Modi wrote in the post.“This is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. WHERE WAS ANTI-CORRUPTION,” he added in another post.As per normal protocol, the match referee will present a detailed report at the end of the match and it remains to be seen whether the Bhinder incident will find mention. Vengalil Narayanan Kutty officiated the RR vs RCB match in Guwahati and two anti-corruption officials would monitor proceedings.In just over 24 hours, RR will be back in action and the BCCI must investigate the matter thoroughly before Bhinder is allowed to be part of the PMOA again. The BCCI Anti-Corruption Code effective from March 18, 2019 also applies to team officials.“BCCI needs to investigate the matter thoroughly. For starters, communication devices need to be seized and scanned. This is a serious violation and must not be allowed to pass. Even the players sitting next to him must be questioned and warned against the act. As for the sanctions, it depends on the match referee and the ACU wing; the punishment can be more severe, from a fine to a ban on the use of the phone or even a ban from the match. when every moment is watched by several cameras, the act was broadcast live and it provokes serious questions,” explained a source following the development.The BCCI has just a few hours to get to the bottom of the matter.
