The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a 7-page guideline to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 regarding violations of rules. The board
noted several off-field disciplinary issues and sent a clear note to the franchises.
The scrutiny extended beyond the roster. The owners and officials were pulled up as well, since some were believed to be violating the Players and Match Officials Areas (PMOA) rules.
The Vaping Controversy and Social Media Repercussions
A significant catalyst for the recent crackdown involves online content creation and the violation of Indian law. Vaping, which is banned in India, was one of the major issues highlighted. In this regard, Punjab Kings' (PBKS) Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh were pulled up.
Arshdeep has gained a massive social media following, with over 6 million followers on Instagram, 1.3 million on Snapchat, and 446k on YouTube. The left-arm fast bowler has been posting vlogs and reels online for years now. However, during one of his most recent uploads, his PBKS teammate Chahal was caught smoking an e-cigarette inside the plane.
It was reported that BCCI wasn't pleased with Chahal or Arshdeep. Consequently, Arshdeep was instructed by the board to stop filming content during the IPL 2026 season.
Punjab Kings' Official Action Plan
According to Cricbuzz, PBKS will officially hold a meeting with players and communicate the new BCCI rules in place. The BCCI has demanded written accountability from the franchises to ensure these infractions do not continue:
"The BCCI holds the Team Manager and/or the authorised person from the Franchise jointly and severally responsible for ensuring full compliance with the directives. The managers have to convene a mandatory team briefing within 48 hours of receipt of this Advisory to communicate its contents to all players and support staff and obtain a written acknowledgement from each player and support staff member confirming receipt and understanding of the directives," the BCCI instructed the franchises.
To comply with the 48-hour mandate, on May 9, PBKS will invite players and obtain their signatures confirming compliance with the new guidelines after practice at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala. Originally, one of PBKS' co-owners, Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta, or Karan Paul, was expected to be present for the meeting. However, due to a sudden flight diversion, PBKS CEO Satish Menon will now brief the players.
