Overview
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit on Friday ordered that possession or use of smart goggles, smart glasses and smart sunglasses is prohibited inside the Players and Match Officials Area (PMOA).
- Players and support staff are required to deposit such eyewear with the designated Security Liaison Officer on match days and face penalties under PMOA Minimum Standards for failure to comply.
- The ACSU flagged that some companies have been marketing smart eyewear to team personnel and warned the devices can live-stream, send and receive texts, and make audio or video calls over mobile data or Wi‑Fi, creating covert communication risks.
- The new advisory is the latest in a season‑long tightening of anti‑corruption and security rules after protocol breaches earlier in IPL 2026, including a fine for Rajasthan Royals’ manager Romi Bhinder for using a phone in the dugout.
- The ban formalises that smart eyewear counts as both an audio/video recording device and a communication device under PMOA rules and could change match‑day routines and raise questions about players’ wearable‑tech endorsements, though commercial effects remain speculative.