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4 min readMumbaiApr 17, 2026 04:23 PM IST
The ACSU did not probe Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the phone was used by RR manager Romi Bhinder. (X)
Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Bhinder has been cleared by BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) with a warning and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The board had asked its ACSU wing to probe the matter, and the security wing didn’t find any serious issue.
“The ACSU wing probed it and found nothing apart from a violation of PMOA (Players match official area). Bhinder admitted his mistake, and as it was his first offence, he was fined one lakh rupees with a warning. The ACSU didn’t probe Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the phone was used by Bhinder, and he was just seated next to him,” a source in the BCCI told The Indian Express.
The Indian cricket board had decided to investigate the matter after footage emerged of Bhinder using a mobile phone in the dugout during their IPL match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru last Friday. The images show Bhinder using his device while seated next to 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal had said that a decision in this regard will be taken after the ACSU submits its report. “We have asked the ACSU to investigate the matter. The manager is allowed to have a mobile, but not in the dugout. You can use the mobile as an emergency measure or in case of a medical emergency,” Dhumal told The Indian Express.
“The matter would be investigated, and whatever is required to be done would be done. The matter would be dealt with all the seriousness it deserves, because all teams have to follow the rules set by the board.” The picture of Bhinder using a phone sitting beside Sooryanashi went viral during the game on Friday itself. As per the PMOA (Players match official area) rules, it was a breach of protocol. “The team manager may use a phone in the dressing room but NOT in the dugout,” say the stipulations.
‘Mobile Phones and other electronic communications equipment are not allowed to be used in the PMOA other than for a few members of the team,’ according to the PMOA protocol for IPL 2026. ‘The analyst may use his computer at the analyst table’ but ‘player and support staff items, i.e. phones, smart watches or any other communication devices should be turned off and given to the team SLO (security liaison officer) for storage on arrival at the stadium.’
Even ‘accredited staff, i.e. dressing room attendant, IPL Match Manager, catering staff, etc., may not take communication devices into the PMOA.’
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During their meetings with the ACSU, teams are made aware of these rules. The ACSU allows managers to use the phone with the rider that the devices can’t be brought to the dugout. Many franchise managers do use phones inside the dressing room, and it has been advised that it be done ‘discreetly’ and away from the cameras. However, using them in the dugout is a strict ‘no-no’. The board allows the use of a phone inside the dressing room so that any emergency can be addressed. There may be a medical issue in a player’s family back home, and they may want to talk about it during the game. In such circumstances, the manager’s phone is used.
The clips doing the rounds on social media have caused some unwanted controversy for the Royals, who have started their IPL 2026 campaign in impressive fashion. They have won four out of their five matches, so far, with their only loss coming to the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
Having spent years covering Mumbai’s local "maidan" cricket circuit, Devendra Pandey brings a unique ground-level perspective to his reporting. ... Read More
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