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Rajasthan Royals
He may have copped criticism for various reasons of late, but Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag, who returned to form with a sparkling 90, said he does not need to "answer his critics" but his job is to win matches for his team. Parag's 50-ball 90 and Donovan Ferreira's brutal 14-ball 47 not out powered RR to 225/6, but they fell short, losing to Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in their IPL match here on Friday. "I don't think I need to answer any critics or anyone talking about it (vaping). But at the end of the day, my job is to get two points. So, my score and my innings don't really matter if we lose the game," said Parag at the post-match presentation. Before this knock, Parag had scored 117 runs from nine innings, with his previous best being 29. If his woeful run with the bat was not enough, he was also caught on camera vaping inside the dugout and was handed a fine of 25 percent of his match fee. His decision to bat first on a sluggish pitch baffled many, but Parag said
Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has courted controversy after TV cameras caught him "vaping" in the dressing room during his team's Indian Premier League game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence. Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night. The act caught on camera triggered immediate reaction on social media. Parag made a 16-ball 29 in his team's successful chase of 223. IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras. "A lot of players consume e-cigarettes but they don't do it in the dressing ro