Riyan Parag was reportedly seen vaping in the dressing room during the Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings match at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium. The clip quickly went viral and sparked debates about player discipline and the legality of such devices under Indian law. Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary has issued a stern warning to young cricketers, urging them to be careful about their behavior on and off the field during major tournaments.The incident occurred during RR’s 16th over chase when the cameras panned to the dressing room and briefly captured Parag appearing to use a vape device while sitting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak and Kuldeep Sen.
Watch
Kumar Sangakkara on RR’s win over Punjab Kings“I don’t know the legal aspects, but there will definitely be government rules and other regulations. Sometimes these cameras can go anywhere, so all the players should be very careful. They are young guys; they don’t know that sometimes they can be caught anywhere except the toilet, so guys should be careful. I think good things should be shown on TV and we should discuss the game rather than other things,” Chaudhary told IANS2 on the sidelines of the EU Belgium jersey.Under Indian law, vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes are prohibited under the Electronic Cigarette Prohibition Act 2019. The legislation prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, import, export and advertisement of electronic cigarettes and vape devices, with violations punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines.While there is no widely publicized cricket-specific rule dealing with vaping, the Board of Control for Cricket in India enforces strict codes of conduct for players inside stadium premises. The use of tobacco or similar products in the changing rooms or dugouts is generally restricted by health and safety protocols, which could potentially put Riyan Parag at risk of disciplinary action.Rajasthan Royals secured a thrilling six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings, powered by an unbeaten 77-run off 32 balls between Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey, who chased down the target in 19.2 overs and handed PBKS their first defeat.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (43 off 16) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 27) set up the chase for RR, before Yuzvendra Chahal’s three wickets briefly swung the momentum back to PBKS. However, Ferreira and Dubey finished strongly under pressure.Earlier, PBKS posted 222/4, led by Marcus Stoinis’ 62 off 22* and Prabhsimran Singh’s 59, but their bowlers could not defend the total in the death overs.
