R. Ashwin Breaks Silence on Riyan Parag's Vaping Controversy in IPL 2026: 'If Action Isn't Taken'

Riyan Parag Vaping Row: Former CSK legend R. Ashwin has taken a swipe at the Board of Control of Cricket in India over their lenient punishment in the Parag matter. As per Ashwin, the punishment given to Parag is not good enough to set the right precedence. Claiming that the situation could have been avoided, Ashwin 

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‘If action isn’t taken, nobody will learn’

"I think this is totally a situation that could have been avoided. I want players not to get trapped in such things. I don’t really want that for a young player, and this is a little sensitive, too. I think, on all quadrants, if we look at so many things, this could have been avoided." Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"Sometimes what happens is it’s a personal choice, but your personal choice should be in your personal space. If you do all this in public space, that can very well be avoided. All I would say is this: it's my small advice as an elder brother. I want to tell Riyan Parag that, whatever happens in your personal life, nobody has any concern about it. Nobody can say anything about that. But whatever you do, do it in your personal space, because you are a captain, you are a franchise leader. You are probably an inspiration for many cricketers, many youth, many young Indians, and young people around the world. So there is some responsibility too," he added.

"It can’t be easy, man. In today’s world, I also sometimes read things and think, man, I mean, sometimes this happens. I’m not saying these things should be let go under the carpet, because if action isn’t taken, nobody will learn from it. But it is better to avoid these things," he concluded.

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With six wins in nine games, Rajasthan are currently on the fourth spot in the points table.