'Integrity Of The Sport Is Crucial': Lalit Modi On RR Manager Using Phone Controversy

'Integrity of the sport is crucial': Lalit Modi on RR manager using phone controversy (Image Source: IANS)

Indian Premier League: Founder of Indian Premier League (IPL) Lalit Modi stressed that the integrity of the game must remain non-negotiable amid the recent controversy after Rajastan Royals manager Romi Bhinder spotted using a mobile phone in the dugout during the side’s IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Guwahati.

Modi warned that the IPL has drifted from its originally strict anti-corruption framework and calling for a return to tighter control, stronger enforcement, and system-driven credibility.

"Integrity of the Sport is crucial : From the very beginning, the IPL was built on one non-negotiable principle—integrity of the game. In 2008, we didn’t just create a league, we created a controlled environment. Anti-corruption protocols, restricted access, monitored communication, and tight operational discipline around players, umpires, and match officials were all embedded into the system from day one. The idea was simple: eliminate opportunity, not just punish misconduct," Lakit Modi posted on X.

The incident, captured live by TV cameras at the ACA Stadium, showed Bhinder using a device while seated next to teenaged left-handed opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was looking at the screen. The footage has since gone viral and raised questions regarding the breach of the league’s strict anti-corruption protocols.

According to the IPL’s Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), a Team Manager may use a phone in the dressing room area but ‘NOT’ in the dugout. Saikia confirmed to IANS on Sunday that the BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is currently verifying the details of the incident and has begun its probing exercise.

"Over time, that sharpness has diluted. The structures still exist on paper—the Anti-Corruption Unit, the codes, the protocols—but the intensity of enforcement, the clarity of control, and the discipline of execution are not what they once were. What was once a tightly run system has gradually become more fragmented and reactive. The events of 2013 were a wake-up call for everyone. Reforms followed. Governance evolved. But somewhere along the way, the balance shifted from control to compliance—and those are not the same thing. The best global sporting ecosystems operate on one principle: integrity is designed into the system, not managed after the fact," he added.

According to the IPL’s Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA), a Team Manager may use a phone in the dressing room area but ‘NOT’ in the dugout. Saikia confirmed to IANS on Sunday that the BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is currently verifying the details of the incident and has begun its probing exercise.

With RR set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, it remains to be seen if Bhinder is spotted in the PMOA area or not. Bhinder has been an integral member of RR’s backroom staff since 2008 and also serves as Sooryavanshi's ‘local guardian’ in the IPL.

Article Source: IANS