The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to clamp down heavily on the “Reels culture” that has plagued the 2026 IPL season. The board are set to undertake strict action against players, officials, the families of team members and former cricketers who have started creating social media content which corresponds to the game and the season.
Multiple former cricketers, who work as broadcasters, have been flagged for making content in the designated Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA). It was further added that a former cricketer, now a commentator with the official broadcasting team, was spotted filming near the dugout premises for their YouTube channel. The cricketer has been warned by the board and is expected to face severe action.
“There have been a few breaches by a few commentators. One former international cricketer was found making videos on his phone near the dugout in a tense situation of a match. The BCCI team acted swiftly and got him to stop the recording. There could be a case of sending legal notices to an ex-cricketer who was found filming for his YouTube channel. The board has clearly mentioned that anybody wearing BCCI and IPL official attire can’t be seen filming at the ground,” a BCCI source told the The Times of India.
The board is aiming to take guidelines against ‘honey trapping’ due to the rise of influencers and social media personalities surrounding the league. The board also wants to curb players who record videos and post on social media during the season. These guidelines have been made stricter to ensure that the families of players are restricted from posting on social media.
“The reel culture has led to many violations of late. There are a few Indian players who post videos on match days, just before a match and immediately after the conclusion of the match,” the source added.
The source also stated that the BCCI will be taking measures to reduce access to unauthorised guests to the team accommodation premises. Anti-corruption unit officers have briefed players about the same. These officials are present at all team venues and hold regular sessions with team members. The source added that despite this, the players have brought in guests to the team hotels.
“There are BCCI ACU officers in team hotels in the local T20 leagues as well. BCCI’s anti-corruption guidelines are applicable in these leagues. There are anti-corruption sessions with players, team officials and team owners but there have been a few IPL players who have taken liberties and brought in unauthorised guests to team hotels in some of the local T20 leagues. These are poor examples for young cricketers who make it to the IPL through these leagues,” BCCI sources said.
These guidelines are set to apply even to state association-run T20 leagues across the country, as a measure to keep a check on player discipline and decorum.
