Why did BCCI fine RR manager Romi Bhinder despite ‘medical necessity’

The incident, which occurred during RR’s clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati on April 10, serves as a stark reminder of the league’s zero-tolerance stance on communication devices in the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA).

“The ACSU wing probed it and found nothing apart from a violation of PMOA (Players match official area). Bhinder admitted his mistake, and as it was his first offence, he was fined one lakh rupees with a warning,” a source in the BCCI told The Indian Express.

Cameras caught Bhinder using phone during a match

Television cameras captured Bhinder, a franchise veteran since the IPL’s inception in 2008, scrolling through his smartphone during the 11th over of the Royals’ chase. Sitting immediately to his right was 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who appeared to be glancing at the device’s screen.

The ‘medical necessity’ defence given by RR manager

Bhinder’s responded to the BCCI’s show-cause notice. According to reports, the manager recently recovered from a severe health crisis involving a collapsed lung and chronic asthma, leading to a loss of over 10 kg.

Cricbuzz report added that he has a documented history lung issues, something which has communicated to the BCCI in adbance. For Bhinder to reach the permitted zone (the dressing room) from the dugout, he would have had to climb roughly 20 stairs and walk 50 steps, a physical exertion his medical team had advised against.

No action against Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Meanwhile, the BCCI has not taken any action against Vaibhav Suryavanshi who was sitting beside Bhinder when he was using his phone.

“The ACSU didn’t probe Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the phone was used by Bhinder, and he was just seated next to him,” the source added.