Rajasthan manager Bhinder spotted using phone during victory over Bengaluru

Dubai: Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Bhinder was seen using a mobile phone inside the team dugout during his side’s IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati, breaching Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA) regulations by doing so.

The incident was caught on camera during the 11th over in the second innings, with Bhinder seen using his phone and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, sitting to his right, peeping at his screen.

As per the IPL’s official guidelines, while team managers are allowed to carry mobile phones, their usage within the dugout area during a match is strictly prohibited.

In addition to the team manager, only the media manager is permitted to carry a phone within the PMOA area, although its use is strictly regulated under the protocol that was issued prior to the start of the tournament.

Bhinder could find himself in serious trouble for the incident and may be called in by both the match referee and the anti-corruption unit for questioning.

The footage has since gone viral across social media, and attention is now turning to how the IPL Governing Council will respond and what action, if any, they choose to take.

An IPL official speaking to Times of India emphasised the seriousness of the breach, stressing that the regulations are very clear and leave little room for interpretation, making the violation particularly significant in this context.

"Managers and media managers carry the phone but the rules regarding its use are very clear, said an IPL official.

“Using it in the dugout is a serious lapse because Romi was sitting next to players who looked at his screen when he was scrolling. There is no grey area here and now it's up to the officials to investigate the matter.”

The statement also underlines concerns beyond the incident itself, particularly the risk of players being inadvertently exposed to information on mobile devices during the course of a live match, and the broader implications this could have on the integrity of the game.

IPL founding chairman Lalit Modi also made a post on X regarding the incident, urging the Governing Council to take "IMMEDIATE ACTION".

His X post read: “Having a MOBILE PHONE IN THE DUGOUT - is a COMPLETELY A NO NO. did this really happen. I hope not. If it did. Then @IPL governing council needs to take IMMEDIATE ACTION.”

The final course of action now rests with the IPL Governing Council, which will determine whether any disciplinary measures are warranted.