The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is unhappy with how some players have been spending time with their girlfriends during IPL 2026. Players like Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Arshdeep Singh have often been seen travelling with their rumoured partners on team buses and staying in team hotels during the tournament.
Because of this, the BCCI is now considering introducing new rules to stop what it calls a growing “girlfriend culture” in the league. The board feels that if this continues, it could create bigger problems in the future.
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Why BCCI planning to impose rules on girlfriend culture in IPL
One of the main concerns is that some of these partners are social media influencers. There are reports that a few of them have promoted betting apps online, which raises serious questions. In the past, there have also been cases where personal disputes between players and their partners became public, with some even leading to police complaints. This has affected the image of both the IPL and the BCCI.
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A senior BCCI official said that things are already getting out of hand. According to him, there have been situations where team buses were delayed because players were waiting for their girlfriends, and some partners were even staying in the same hotels as the teams.
The official also mentioned that some Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) officers may have allowed this by assuming that these partners were “officially recognised.” However, he made it clear that there is no such rule in BCCI policies. Only wives and close family members are allowed under certain guidelines.
The BCCI is also worried that having influencers around players might leak sensitive information, even if it is unintentional, which might impact the integrity of the game.
Now, the BCCI plans to discuss this issue in its next meeting and come up with strict rules. These rules are likely to apply not just in the IPL but also when Team India travels abroad for the upcoming assignments. Even though IPL teams are run by private franchises, the BCCI wants to create one rule that everyone must follow. The ACU is also expected to get clear instructions about who can stay and travel with players.