Kumar Sangakkara opens up on Riyan Parag vaping row in IPL 2026; ‘Reminder to players to maintain team’s culture’

The fine of 25% along with one demerit point to Riyan Parag is a strong reminder to all the players in the dressing room to maintain a team culture, opined Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara on Thursday. Sangakkara's comment came a few hours after the Rajasthan Royals captain was punished by the BCCI for breaching IPL's Code of Conduct.

It all stemmed when Parag was caught vaping inside the Rajasthan Royals dressing room during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh. The video taken by the host broadcaster during the live broadcast immediately went viral on social media.

It must be noted that The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes/vaping back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a ₹one lakh fine for a first time offence.

Although Rajasthan Royals emerged victorious, but Parag's act marred the celebrations. On the eve of their IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals, Sangakkara admitted that the controversy did impact them as a team.

“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,” Sangakkara was quoted as saying by The Hindu. “It is a reminder to the players that they have to maintain the team’s culture.”

Rajasthan Royals under BCCI scanner

Parag's vaping row has brought the franchise under the BCCI scanner. This is not the first time Rajasthan Royals came into headlines for off-field controversies. A few days earlier, Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Bhinder was fined for breaking the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) by using a mobile phone in the dugout during the match.

Bhinder was let go with a fine of ₹1 lakh and a warning. “The BCCI is also exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team (Rajasthan Royals), its officials and player/s to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact,” the BCCI said in a statement.

According to PTI, on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.

The Level 1 offence carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point. "Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the Match Referee, Amit Sharma," said the IPL in a statement.

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