Rajasthan Royals
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Wikipedia - Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals (often abbreviated as RR) are a professional franchise cricket team based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 as one of the initial eight IPL franchises, the team is owned by Manoj Badale and The Royals Sports Group. The Royals team is based at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. It plays its home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium and at ACA Stadium, Guwahati. The Royals are known to unearth obscure and high potential talent.
The team won the inaugural edition of the IPL under the captaincy of Shane Warne, despite being written off as a title contender by the media and fans. The Royals were also the runners-up of the 2013 Champions League Twenty20 under Rahul Dravid's captaincy, and the runners-up of the 2022 Indian Premier League under the captaincy of Sanju Samson and leadership of Kumar Sangakkara. The team has qualified for playoffs in 2024 Indian Premier League but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in qualifier 2 by 36 runs under the captaincy of Sanju Samson and leadership of Kumar Sangakkara. The team has announced former team India coach and ex-Rajasthan Royals player and mentor Rahul Dravid as a Head Coach for IPL 2025.
On 14 July 2015, the verdict reached by a panel appointed by the Supreme Court of India suspended Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings for two years over a 2013 betting scandal, meaning they could not participate in both the 2016 and 2017 IPL tournaments. The team returned to the competition with the 2018 season.
The team's record run-scorer is Sanju Samson with 3403 runs, while the leading wicket-taker is Shane Watson, with 67 wickets.
History
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the establishment of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in September 2007, a Twenty20 competition to be started in 2008. The Rajasthan Royals were one of the original eight teams in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008. Emerging Media gained ownership of the Jaipur-based franchise team with a bid of $67 million, making it the least expensive team in the league.
As of 2024, the franchise is owned by the Royals Sports Group (Emerging Media Sporting Holdings Limited), which holds a 65% stake. Key minority stakeholders include Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners. There have been past controversies regarding the ownership of the franchise, leading to a brief expulsion of the team from the league in 2010. The franchise made a pre-tax profit of $7.5 million in 2009.
Expulsion from the IPL and return
In 2010, the BCCI decided to expel Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL. The expulsion baffled captain Shane Warne who stated that he suspected that there might be some foul play and that the BCCI might possess some ulterior motives. The Rajasthan Royals filed an appeal against the decision and the two parties went to the Bombay High Court. The Bombay High Court adjourned that case until 29 October 2010, but it was revised to 15 November because they didn't want it to coincide with Diwali celebrations from 1 to 14 November.
Later, it was announced by the Royals that they told the Bombay High Court that they would be negotiating with an arbitrator to see if they could reconcile with the IPL. The arbitrator announced that while the investigation was ongoing, the Royals would remain a part of the IPL for six weeks and the BCCI would not be allowed to change rules which might go against the Royals. The six-week period included the player auction in which Rajasthan Royals participated. After this, the Bombay High Court rejected the appeals of the BCCI against keeping the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL for six weeks while the case was sorted out. It was estimated that because of the losses in court cases and damage to its reputation, the BCCI decided not to pursue further legal action against the Rajasthan Royals or Kings XI Punjab – the teams were allowed to remain in the IPL.
Ban in 2015
In 2015, the team was banned for two years following the Lodha Committee inquiry.
Rajasthan Royals became the source of controversy when inappropriate and fictitious bids were made, violating the BCCI norms. Ranjit Barthakur and Fraser Castellino were the only two shareholders of the team, which was completely unknown to the BCCI at the time. An out-of-court settlement between the two ensued.[] In 2015, Rajasthan Royals were banned for two years by the BCCI, with its owner Raj Kundra banned for life.
The Rajasthan Royals have a reputation for nurturing young talent and giving opportunities to lesser-known players. They have had success in the IPL, winning the inaugural season in 2008 under the captaincy of Shane Warne. The team has also produced some standout performers over the years, including Shane Watson, Ajinkya Rahane, and Sanju Samson.
Known for their never-say-die attitude and fighting spirit, the Rajasthan Royals are always a tough team to beat in the IPL. They play their home matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, which is known for its electrifying atmosphere and passionate fans. With a mix of experienced players and exciting young talent, the Rajasthan Royals are always a team to watch out for in the IPL.