IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Bhinder ‘warned and fined’ for using phone in dugout. cricket news
New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals Manager Romi Bhinder has been let off with just a fine and a warning for using a mobile phone in the dugout. TimesofIndia.com has learned that the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has conveyed its decision to the franchise after thoroughly examining Bhinder’s reply to the show cause notice.Investigators were convinced by Bhinder’s medical reasoning and how his current health condition forced him to keep and use the phone in the dugout. During the act, there was no discussion about the young Vaibhav Suryavanshi sitting next to Bhinder.“The ACSU investigated, and a formal communication has been sent to the franchise. Bhinder received a fine and a warning for using his phone in the dugout; however, investigators were convinced that its use was necessary due to his medical condition, so there were no serious consequences. There was no discussion regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He is a kid and maybe the franchise can explain the rules to him better. There is no point in scaring a young player,” says a senior BCCI official.As per PMOA protocol, managers can use phones in the dressing room but not in the dugout. Here’s what the protocol says:phones
- Use of mobile phones and other electronic communication devices is not permitted in the PMOA except by a few team members.
- The team manager can use the phone in the dressing room area but not in the dugout.
While Bhinder clearly violated protocol, the Indian cricket board and the ACSU wing were satisfied with the logic.Bhinder was seen Using a mobile phone in the team’s dugout He violated the PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) protocol by doing so during his team’s game against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Guwahati last week.The incident happened during the 11th over of the RR chase when Bhinder was using his phone and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, sitting to his right, was peeking at his screen.In addition to the team manager, the media manager is allowed to have a phone in the PMOA area, but use is clearly defined in the protocol, which was published before the start of the tournament.