The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a Tamil Nadu cricketer after he was allegedly caught ‘texting his girlfriend’ from the dugout during a recent Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match. Using a mobile phone in the dugout is a breach of the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol under anti-corruption regulations.
According to PTI, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association was considering banning the player for two years but ultimately let him off because the offense wasn’t ‘grave’ in nature.
“The TNCA will not name the player as investigation is ongoing. All I can confirm is he is a left hander who scored two fifties for Tamil Nadu in last year’s Ranji
Trophy. He was found texting his girlfriend during the course of a match. While no corruption charges has been levelled, using mobile phone in PMOA during course of a match is prohibited. Hence, it’s a protocol breach,” a senior TNCA official told news agency PTI on Friday.
Five Tamil Nadu batters scored two half-centuries each in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, and four of them were left-handers.
The PMOA rules strictly regulate phone use. Team managers can use mobile phones only in the dressing room, not the dugout. Players and most support staff must switch off and hand over their devices on arrival. Only the designated analyst is allowed to use a computer at a specified station for match-related data.
The rule was in focus during the IPL 2026 season when Rajasthan Royals (RR) manager Romi Bhinder was fined the same amount for using his phone in the dugout.
While the rule against phone usage in the dugout aims to cut down chances of corrupt individuals sharing details with bookies, the Bhinder incident also brought to light the obvious loophole that such usage and is not prohibited from inside the dressing room.
