"Kris Srikkanth Loved Smoking": Riyan Parag's Vaping Row Gets Unfiltered Reaction From Sanjay Manjrekar
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was embroiled in a controversy recently after being caught on camera vaping inside the dressing room during an IPL match against Punjab Kings
- Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar questioned Rajasthan Royals' decision of making Riyan Parag captain
- "From a cricketing point of view, I don't think it makes any sense at all," Manjrekar said
- "He's just got too much as a reward, not having really worked hard for those rewards," he added
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was embroiled in a controversy recently after being caught on camera vaping inside the dressing room during an IPL match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. Riyan Parag was fined 25 per cent of his match fee and has also accumulated one Demerit Point for breaching Level 1 of the IPL's Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials. The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale, and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of up to Rs one lakh for a first-time offence.
Former India star Sanjay Manjrekar said the scrutiny that current players face shows there is no privacy for stars.
"In our time, there was a player called Krishnamachari Srikkanth. He loved smoking. It was something he did as a way to unwind - you got out, felt frustrated, and had a smoke. Shane Warne used to do that as well. But cameras weren't this intrusive. Now, with the kind of coverage we have, even a silhouette of someone like Mahendra Singh Dhoni somewhere private can be picked up and shown. There is virtually no privacy for these people," he told Sportstar.
Manjrekar advised moving on from the incident. "That's something I'm strongly against - stump mics, too. That used to be our space on the field. You might whisper something near the stumps, knowing it wouldn't go beyond that moment. But the game has changed. The scrutiny is a lot more. It's actually against Indian law. I think after Riyan Parag, they must find out who the supplier is and take action against him. The right thing was done, and now we must quickly move on," he said.
Riyan Parag was made Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain after the departure of Sanju Samson, and his stint as permanent skipper has started off well. Under Parag, RR have six wins from their first 10 IPL 2026 games, and are firmly in the playoffs race. Despite this, former India cricketer and reputed commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has stated his perplexity over RR choosing to make Parag the captain. Manjrekar explained his confusion over the decision, concluding that it made little cricketing sense.
"From a cricketing point of view, I don't think it makes any sense at all. I think it's a bit harsh to say this, but he's just got too much as a reward, not having really worked hard for those rewards," Manjrekar said, speaking to Sportstar.
Manjrekar elaborated that Parag's performances over the years haven't been impressive enough for RR to back him with the role of captaincy.
"After the kind of performances that I've seen over the years, I find it a little strange that Rajasthan Royals have backed him so much," he said.
Riyan Parag endured a number of inconsistent seasons through the early 2020s, but emerged as a potential star in IPL 2024, when he smashed 573 runs in 14 innings.
In IPL 2025 and 2026, Parag has shown flashes of his extraordinary talent, but has been unable to find a consistent run of form. In IPL 2026, Parag's best effort came against Delhi Capitals (DC), when he slammed 90 off 50.
"It is a case I've never understood. The only conclusion that I can draw is that the franchise and its management really like him as a talent and as a personality. They also saw some leadership qualities and backed him," Manjrekar further said.
Despite his questions over RR's decision to make him captain, Manjrekar also admitted Parag's exceptional talent.
"We should also accept that when he plays like he did the other day, when he scored 90-odd, you can see the obvious talent he has," he said.
"What catches your eye with Riyan Parag is the unbelievable self-confidence that he shows. Even when he was not delivering, if you saw him in the field and the kind of stuff that he did, it was a lot of sort of doing things to get the attention. It was just almost arrogance for somebody who was struggling to fit in or deliver. So, it tells me about a person who has this confidence and it seems to be genuine. It doesn't seem to be a put-on," Manjrekar concluded.
Parag has played one ODI and nine T20Is for India.
Rajasthan Royals