IPL 2026: Veteran Indian and Punjab Kings spinner Yuzvendra Chahal seemed to have courted controversy as he was allegedly seen vaping inside an aircraft while travelling with the team ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against SunRisers Hyderabad. A deleted video of the same has now emerged as the Haryana-born cricketer. It threatens to plunge the 10-team tournament into further controversy, with Riyan Parag also caught doing the same in the dressing room during the match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
IPL 2026: Was Yuzvendra Chahal smoking inside the aircraft?
It is not conclusive whether the video on social media is AI generated or a real one. The incident seems to be from Arshdeep Singh’s official YouTube channel during their travel time to Hyderabad ahead of their fixture against the SunRisers on May 6, Wednesday. Nevertheless, there is no official confirmation, any conclusive evidence or any statement from IPL about Chahal vaping. It is also worth noting that vaping is strictly prohibited on planes and passengers are not allowed to carry it either in check-in luggage or carry bag.
Achya ye kya hai fir ?? Tum bc khud ko hi smjhdar samjhte ho bc , gyan pelne aa jaate ho bina kuch dekhehttps://t.co/Jsk1Rp3N6d
— Jo Kar (@i_am_gustakh) May 7, 2026
If indeed Chahal is found vaping, he could face strict action from the BCCI. In a recent statement, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia warned that stringent action will follow against teams violating protocols. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he stated:
“We are exploring some other options about how to bring the teams which are violating the norms. We will be taking some action. We are looking at the various terms and conditions and protocols of IPL [around] how the teams behave.”
IPL 2026: How has Yuzvendra Chahal performed for Punjab Kings?
The wrist-spinner was instrumental in PBKS’ run to the final in 2025 but has managed only eight wickets in 10 games at 35.75 alongside an economy rate of 9.53.
As far as Punjab Kings’ performance goes, they went undefeated in six out of first seven games but have now lost three consecutive fixtures, thereby getting dethroned from the top spot.
