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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seems to be displeased with the actions of certain team owners in IPL 2026.
Last week, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia issued a 7-page directive laying out the protocols that everyone involved with the IPL has had to follow. Now, the board seems to have observed certain team owners breaching these protocols, and they may be considering strict action.
According to the BCCI’s new protocols, team owners are prevented from having any physical or verbal contact with the players during IPL matches. Allegedly, there have now been multiple breaches of this procedure.
Behaviour of the team owners has been worrying – Senior BCCI source
As reported by The Indian Express, the BCCI has been unhappy with the behaviour of team owners who have not been following the guidelines.
“One of the most worrying aspects has been the behaviour of the team owners. They have been flouting rules and haven’t been cooperating. By way of evidence, there are photographs of them near the dugout. Some even carry their phones to the ground. They have been warned, but it hasn’t helped,” the source told The Indian Express.
They also went on to verify that the board is considering strict action against any further violations of guidelines.
BCCI issued a directive to IPL teams earlier
In their earlier statement, the board had warned against players meeting unauthorised persons in their hotel rooms and to be especially wary of cases of honey-trapping.
In the statement, Saikia told the franchises: “The BCCI draws the attention of all franchises to the well-documented risks of targeted compromise and honey-trapping that pervade high-profile sporting environments.
The possibility of incidents giving rise to serious legal allegations, including those under applicable laws on sexual misconduct, cannot be discounted. The franchise management must remain vigilant and proactive in mitigating such risks at all times,” Saikia stated in a seven-page guideline issued on Thursday.
A task force has been established, comprising members from the BCCI and the tournament Operations team. This team will be responsible for conducting hotel room checks. Any case of unauthorised access will be met with strong disciplinary action, with potential punishments already outlined.
Saikia makes a statement to all franchises
In his statement, Saikia had said that team owners were repeatedly interacting with the players during the match, and flagged such behaviour.
“Specifically, instances have been observed of IPL franchise owners attempting to communicate with, approach, hug, or otherwise physically interact with players and team members during live match situations,” the advisory said.
“Such conduct, however well-intentioned, directly contravenes established protocol and may constitute interference with team dynamics and match proceedings.” Franchise owners, the BCCI said, are “strictly prohibited from communicating with or physically accessing players or team officials in the dugout, dressing room, or playing area during the course of a match.”
The advisory cautioned the owners and their associates not to breach the Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) protocol, otherwise it would be counted as a “serious violation.”
