The Board of Control for Cricket in India is set to crack down on unauthorized persons traveling and staying next to IPL teams in the 2026 season. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that a new recommendation is in the works after the board noticed several violations related to access to team hotels, buses and restricted areas.
The development comes amid growing chatter this season about players and franchise officials being accompanied by people not officially involved in team operations. Speaking to ANI about the issue, Saikia said the BCCI had noticed “anomalies and irregularities” during the ongoing IPL campaign and warned that any future violation would be followed by strict action.
“This time we have observed various anomalies and irregularities in the behavior of certain franchises and players…So BCCI and IPL are preparing an advisory and we will issue this advisory tonight as we have noticed that many unauthorized persons are moving around with the team members,” Saikia said.
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia says, “This time we have observed various anomalies and irregularities in the behavior of certain franchises and players. So BCCI and IPL are preparing a recommendation and we will release it tonight.” pic.twitter.com/JtScEpcpCg— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2026
“And some people who are unauthorized are coming into hotels and players’ rooms or team officials’ rooms, which is completely against our anti-corruption protocols,” he added.
Saikia also highlighted that the board noticed team owners and officials entering restricted areas during matches and team movements.
“We’ve also seen some team owners and officials mix with players in areas where that’s not allowed. So there are certain protocols that we have to follow and we’ve seen some dilution happen.”
“We have taken it very seriously. We are issuing a notice which will be followed very strictly. If there is any further violation then BCCI and IPL will take very strict action.”
The warning is expected to trigger tighter monitoring around team hotels, dressing room access, accredited travel groups and movement for the remainder of IPL 2026.
WHAT WILL THE NEW BCCI IPL TRAVEL POLICY BE?
While the full advisory has yet to be officially released, the BCCI’s comments strongly suggest tighter restrictions on who can travel, stay and move around with IPL teams during the tournament.
The board seems particularly concerned about anti-corruption and security protocols being weakened by unrestricted access to team environments.
This season, several players have been repeatedly spotted traveling with partners and non-team members during franchise moves, including appearances in team hotels and buses.
The BCCI has now indicated that this approach may be significantly tightened in the future.
The recommendation is also expected to set stricter boundaries for franchise officials, team owners and outside workers when it comes to locker room access, hotel movement and restricted match zones.
Given how strongly the board worded its warning, franchises are now likely to face much tighter compliance checks during the final phase of IPL 2026.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
07 May 2026 17:53 IST
