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The Board of Control for Cricket in India has issued strict guidelines for all 10 franchises following protocol violations that came to light during the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The board has taken this big step after the cases of Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder using phone in the dugout and captain Ryan Parag vaping in the dressing room.

BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia sent an eight-page advisory to all the teams on Thursday night, in which the standard operating procedures to be followed during the IPL have been mentioned in detail. The document also lists several irregularities and security concerns recorded by the anti-corruption unit.

BCCI expressed concern about tarnishing the image of the league

At the beginning of the advisory, Devjit Saikia wrote, This advisory has been issued in view of certain incidents witnessed during the ongoing season and is aimed at reinforcing the standards of professionalism, discipline, security awareness and protocol compliance expected from all stakeholders associated with the IPL. BCCI expects all franchises to take this matter extremely seriously and ensure full compliance at all times in the larger interest of the league and the game.

After this, it was said in the preamble that recent developments can damage the image of both the league and BCCI. It has come to the notice of BCCI that there have been some incidents of misconduct and protocol violations involving players, support staff and team officials during the current IPL season. If these incidents are not addressed, it could cause serious damage to the reputation of the tournament, the respective franchises and the governing body BCCI.

Players received warning

BCCI has also alerted all the teams about possible honey trap dangers during the tournament. The advisory said that some players and support staff allowed unauthorized people into the hotel room without the knowledge of the team manager.

The document said, it has been observed that some players and support staff have allowed unauthorized persons to enter their hotel rooms without the knowledge or permission of the team manager of the respective IPL franchise. In many cases, the team manager was not aware of the presence of such visitors at all. A strict ban is imposed on this practice with immediate effect.

New rules for guests in hotel rooms

BCCI clarified that now no person will be allowed to go to the hotel room of players or support staff without written approval. No guest will be allowed access to the private hotel room without the written permission of the Team Manager. Meeting guests will take place only in public places like hotel lobby or reception. Teams have been asked to be alert to potential honey traps and legal risks.
Strictness even when going out of the hotel

BCCI also noticed that many players and support staff were leaving the hotel late at night without informing. Now it will be mandatory for players to take permission from the Security Liaison Officer or Team Integrity Officer before leaving the hotel.

• Information about going out of the hotel will have to be given to the team manager and SLO in advance.

• Records of all activities will be maintained.

• This record will have to be made available to the BCCI operations team on demand.

Instructions issued for team owners also

BCCI has also asked the team owners to maintain distance from the players during the match. The board said that some owners were trying to talk to players, hug them or reach the dressing room during the match.

Devjit Saikia wrote: In particular, attempts by IPL franchise owners to communicate, approach, hug or otherwise physically contact players and team members during live matches have been observed. Such behavior, even if well-intentioned, is a direct violation of established protocols and may be considered interference with team dynamics and match proceedings.

Now team owners will not be allowed to have direct contact with the players in the dugout, dressing room and playing area. Complete ban on vaping and banned substances

Although Riyan Parag’s name was not taken in the advisory, BCCI has imposed a strict ban on the use of vaping and e-cigarettes. Along with this, it was also said that the use of vape or e-cigarette will be completely banned in any IPL premises including dressing room, dugout, team hotel and practice facilities.

New instructions given to team managers

BCCI said that the team manager and authorized officials of the franchise will be responsible for following all these rules.

A meeting of all players and support staff will have to be organized within 48 hours.
Written confirmation will have to be taken from every member that he has read the guidelines.
Guest approval system will have to be implemented for hotel visits.
Complete records of the team’s movement will have to be maintained.

What action will be taken if rules are broken?

BCCI has made it clear that violation of rules is a serious disciplinary matter.
Will be considered.

Possible actions include

Imposing financial penalties, suspending or disqualifying players, support staff or officials, and handing over cases to law enforcement agencies in case of legal violations.

The advisory said, non-compliance of the rules may subject the concerned IPL franchise and associated persons to action under the IPL Regulations, BCCI Rules and Regulations and other applicable laws, as necessary as per the circumstances.