Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag played a stellar innings in IPL 2026 Match 40 on Tuesday, April 28, as his side became the first to win against Punjab Kings this season. But what came as a surprise to the RR captain was when live TV footage revealed that Parag was taking a vape in the dressing room just after his dismissal in the match.
Parag was dismissed for 29 off 16 balls on the last ball of the 14th over. Seven balls into his dismissal, the TV broadcast showed the live coverage of the dressing room where the Guwahati native was seen puffing on a vape, while his teammates Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Sen and Yudhvir Singh Charak were also seated.
It’s worth noting that the use and possession of vapes is banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019. So, a proper investigation may be initiated against Parag if he is found guilty of consuming the product. Parag may be liable to pay a fine of up to INR 1 lakh or imprisonment for up to 1 year or both.
Watch the video of Riyan Parag smoking a vape in the dressing room below:
“Spotted something questionable in the dressing room during today’s match. Not making any claims, but this deserves a look.#rrvspbks @BCCI @IPL pic.twitter.com/eYOgPkhsoS
— Gaurav Khurana (@GauravK93132575) April 28, 2026On the match, Parag was pleased with their dominance over PBKS. In his post-match emotions, the RR captain said that they were able to achieve what they had talked about in the team meetings before the game.
“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.
Parag Reflects on RR’s Successful Chase and Middle-Order Contributions
The teenage cricket player also expressed his satisfaction with the RR’s middle order hitters coming through for them during a difficult 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.
Parag elaborated on the strategy for the chase, saying that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s brilliant stand for the first wicket always established the framework. Additionally, he praised the manner Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey concluded the game 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.
