[WATCH] RR captain Riyan Parag spotted vaping in dressing room during match vs PBKS

Riyan Parag led his side brilliantly in Match 40 of IPL 2026 on Tuesday, April 28, as Rajasthan Royals became the first team to defeat Punjab Kings this season. However, a moment that caught the RR skipper off guard was when live television visuals confirmed that Parag was indulging in a vape inside the dressing room shortly after his dismissal in the match.

Parag scored 29 off just 16 balls, getting out on the last ball of the 14th over. Just seven balls into his departure, the broadcast showed a visual of the live scenes in the dressing room where the Guwahati-born was seen dragging a vape device, while teammates Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Sen, and Yudhvir Singh Charak were also sitting nearby.

Notably, possession or consumption of vapes is prohibited in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019. Thus, a thorough investigation may be launched against Parag if he is found guilty of using the product. Parag, if found guilty, may invite a fine up to INR 1 lakh or an imprisonment upto 1 year or both.

Watch the video of Riyan Parag smoking a vape in the dressing room below:

Speaking of the match, Parag was happy with the way they dominated against PBKS. Reflecting his raw thoughts after the match, the RR skipper said that they were able to accomplish whatever they had discussed in the team meetings ahead of the clash.

"As a team, what we have discussed, we achieved in this game. We could have restricted them to a lower score but the batters picked up the slack. Feel we could have bowled a few overs better here and there, and batted better. You are never going to get 40 overs (of perfect cricket) but our preparation has to be to play 40 overs of good cricket," he said.

The young cricketer also shed light on how he was satisfied with the RR's batters in the middle order stepping up and finishing the job for them in a daunting run chase.

Concerns were from everyone else. It was their concerns, not our concerns. When the middle order does not fire, the top three have to pick it up. When they fail to fire (or play at a slower rate), we have to pick them up. All the worries were from the outside, not from us", Parag added. 

Adding on what the plan was during the chase, Parag stated that the platform was always set by the opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, courtesy of their blistering stand for the first wicket. He also commended the way Shubham Dubey and Donovan Ferreira ended the proceedings for the Royals.

"Plan was to keep wickets in hand and not fall behind the run-rate, they (Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi) made our jobs easier for us. After the powerplay, we got behind a little bit but picked it up again. (On Dubey) Him and Don - the way they played, they took it away from Punjab. Felt they would bowl a few more slower," he concluded.