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Cricket PlayersBCCI cracks down on Tamil Nadu Ranji player with Rs.1 lakh fine, TNPL ban after mobile phone found in restricted area
Tamil Nadu cricketer fined ₹1 lakh and banned from TNPL for having a mobile phone in a restricted area, breaching BCCI protocols.
A Ranji Trophy-capped Tamil Nadu cricketer has been fined ₹1 lakh by the BCCI's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) and barred from the Tamil Nadu Premier League after a mobile phone was found inside the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), a restricted zone governed by strict anti-corruption protocols.
The identity of the all-rounder has not been made public in the available information. The ACSU is understood to have reported the violation to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), which organises the TNPL, following which disciplinary action was taken against the player.
The incident constitutes a breach of the BCCI's rules governing communication devices inside restricted match areas. Players, members of support staff and other authorised personnel are not permitted to carry mobile phones and similar communication devices into the PMOA.
Under the protocols, mobile phones and smartwatches are required to be switched off and handed over to the designated security personnel before an individual enters the restricted area.
There is no suggestion at this stage that the player was involved in match-fixing, betting or communication with a bookmaker. The reported offence concerns the presence of the mobile phone inside the restricted area itself.
It is also unclear whether the player was using the device when the violation was detected or whether the phone was simply found in his possession. Details regarding the circumstances in which the device was discovered, the player's explanation to the ACSU and the exact length of his TNPL ban have also not emerged.
BCCI maintaining strict watch over communication devices
The ₹1 lakh fine follows another communication-device violation during the 2026 Indian Premier League.
Rajasthan Royals team manager Ravinder Singh 'Romi' Bhinder was fined the same amount earlier this year after being seen using a mobile phone in the dugout during an IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati.
Bhinder was issued a notice under the BCCI's PMOA protocols and was subsequently fined ₹1 lakh and warned after his explanation was found unsatisfactory. The TNPL case appears to carry an additional consequence, with the Tamil Nadu player also being barred from the competition.
The BCCI's ACSU has tightened its scrutiny of electronic devices in recent months as technology capable of transmitting information becomes increasingly sophisticated.
Earlier this year, the unit also warned players and support staff against taking smart glasses or smart goggles into restricted areas. Such devices can potentially record, livestream or transmit audio, video and messages, placing them in the same broad category as mobile phones and smartwatches under anti-corruption safeguards.
The regulations are designed to prevent unauthorised communication between people inside the team environment and those outside it during matches.
The latest incident comes during the ongoing 2026 TNPL, which began earlier this month and is scheduled to run until August 28.
While further details surrounding the player and the circumstances of the breach are awaited, the punishment once again underlines the BCCI's strict approach towards violations involving communication devices in controlled match areas.
