IPL: BCCI Probing RR Over Phone Use In Dugout

New Delhi, 14 May 2026 — The Board of Control for Cricket in India has opened a formal investigation into Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder after television cameras caught him using a mobile phone in the players’ dugout during Tuesday night’s IPL 2026 fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Guwahati’s ACA Stadium.

The footage, broadcast live and subsequently shared widely on social media, shows Bhinder operating the device while seated alongside 18-year-old Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who appeared to be glancing at the screen. The visual has triggered concerns of a potential breach of the league’s anti-corruption code, which strictly limits electronic communication within the dugout area.

Under the IPL’s Players and Match Officials Area regulations, team officials may use phones only within the confines of the dressing room; the dugout is designated a no-device zone to safeguard the integrity of live match data.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board’s Anti-Corruption Unit has commenced verification of the incident. “We are examining the available evidence and will follow due process,” Saikia said.

Bhinder, a member of the Royals’ backroom staff since the franchise’s inaugural 2008 campaign, also acts as Sooryavanshi’s local guardian during the tournament. The teenager was listed as a substitute fielder in the match, which the Royals won by six wickets to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The investigation’s outcome will determine whether any sanctions are imposed on the franchise or its official ahead of the business end of the season.