BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia announced on May 7, 2026, that the board is cracking down on unauthorised persons, including rumoured partners and personal staff travelling on team buses and staying in official team hotels during IPL 2026. The move aims to restore strict anti-corruption and security protocols that the board believes have been "diluted" this season. The BCCI’s decision to tighten the screws on travel and hotel protocols is a direct response to what officials have described as a "free-for-all" environment during the current IPL season. The BCCI is preparing a formal advisory to be issued to all franchises and players to enforce these boundaries.
All players and official support staff must travel to practice and matches only in the official team bus. Family members, partners, and friends are strictly prohibited from travelling in the team bus and must travel in separate vehicles. Unauthorised persons are no longer permitted in players' rooms or official team zones to ensure confidentiality and focus. Access to the Player and Match Official Area (PMOA) and team dressing rooms is restricted to BCCI-accredited staff.
Reasons for this strict regulations
The presence of influencers and individuals with ties to betting platforms around players has raised red flags for the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). High-profile instances of team logistics being disrupted by non-essential personnel prompted the need for clearer boundaries.Security logs revealed that "guests" were frequently visiting player rooms late at night, which is a direct violation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) meant to prevent fixing approaches. In past seasons, some superstar players were reportedly allowed to travel to the stadium in private cars with their families or personal staff.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia emphasized that the "informal culture" of the IPL needs to end to protect the league's integrity. If a team is found to be facilitating unauthorized travel, the franchise will be fined, not just the player. Any personal staff member found sneaking into restricted areas faces a permanent ban from all BCCI-regulated events. First-time violations will result in an official warning, while subsequent breaches will attract heavy financial penalties and potentially further disciplinary action against both players and franchises.
