Rajasthan Royals team manager Romi Bhinder is at the center of a significant controversy after TV cameras caught him using a mobile phone in the team dugout during RR’s IPL 2026 match against RCB at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.

The images of Romi Bhinder on his phone with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sitting beside him went viral on social media after the match and the BCCI has confirmed it has started investigating the incident.

RR won the game by six wickets with Sooryavanshi scoring 78 off 26 balls to take the Orange Cap but the victory has been overshadowed by the dugout incident and the questions it raises about protocol compliance inside the PMOA.

What the rules say and what the BCCI confirmed

The IPL’s official playing conditions are clear at this point. The PMOA protocol for 2026 states that team managers may use a mobile phone in the dressing room but not in the dugout.

A BCCI official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Bhinder had breached that protocol. “Yes Romi Bhinder has indeed breached the protocol of the players’ and match officials’ area as cell phones are banned in the dugout during match.”

The same official added that the breach might have been inadvertent but that some action was necessary. “Whether it will be a warning or match ban will depend on the match referee and ACU report. Based on that the IPL governing council can take a call.”

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to Hindustan Times Digital on Sunday that an investigation is underway. He was measured in how he framed the situation acknowledging that managers are permitted to carry phones in the PMOA while making clear that the specific location of use is the issue being examined.

“That is number one. Second whether he has violated any protocol or regulations under our existing IPL rules and regulations. We are trying to verify it and we have started the process. So if anything is found to be negative we will take action. The exercise has already started.”

Who Romi Bhinder is and the Lalit Modi reaction

Romi Bhinder has held multiple positions in the Rajasthan Royals backroom since the very first IPL season in 2008 making him one of the longest-serving officials at any franchise in the tournament.

He is also serving as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s local guardian during IPL 2026 given the 15-year-old’s age and the responsibility that places on the franchise to provide appropriate supervision. The fact that Sooryavanshi was sitting beside Romi Bhinder in the images that went viral added another layer to a story that was already attracting significant attention.

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi reacted strongly on social media. “Having a MOBILE PHONE IN THE DUGOUT is a COMPLETELY A NO NO. Did this really happen. I hope not. If it did then the IPL governing council needs to take IMMEDIATE ACTION.”

Modi’s reaction amplified the story considerably and added pressure on the BCCI to move quickly on the investigation. Romi Bhinder has not yet been formally charged with a breach of the IPL code of conduct as per ESPNcricinfo. RR face SRH on Monday and it remains to be seen whether Romi Bhinder is present in the dugout for that game while the investigation continues.