The Inaugural IPL Cricket Champions Rajasthan Royals Journey

This blog will discuss the journey of the Rajasthan Royals team in the IPL Cricket, its historical background, team recognition, home ground & Fan support, performances in the previous seasons, top performers, and rivalries in the league.

The first-ever IPL Champions, Rajasthan is a professional franchise taking part in the IPL Cricket since 2008. The team owned by Raj Kundra and other stakeholders set the stage on fire with its inaugural victory. Since then, the IPL team has not won the title and their performance has been below-par.

A Quick History of Rajasthan Royals

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced the Indian Premier League (IPL) in September 2007, a Twenty20 competition set to start in 2008. The Rajasthan Royals were among the original eight teams in the inaugural IPL cricket season of 2008. The franchise, based in Jaipur, was acquired by Emerging Media with a bid of $67 million, making it the least expensive team at the time.

As of 2021, the franchise is owned by Emerging Media IPL Ltd, led by Manoj Badale, holding a 65% stake. There are minority stakeholders including Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners and due to complex ownership issues, this team also faced temporary expulsion from the league in 2010. Despite such major issues, the team did not stop making profits that really contributed to its value and brand.

Controversies for the Royals in IPL

In 2010, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) removed Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals from the IPL. This led Rajasthan Royals to appeal in the Mumbai High Court. The court granted them a six-week participation in the ongoing investigations. The Bombay High Court rejected BCCI's appeals against this decision, allowing the IPL team to remain in the IPL.

However, in 2015, Rajasthan Royals faced a two-year ban following the Lodha Committee inquiry. The ban was because of controversial bids and undisclosed shareholders. Owner Raj Kundra received a lifetime ban. The team's return was marked by legal complications and a temporary expulsion from the league.

Home Ground and Fan Base of RR

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur is where the Rajasthan Royals play their home games. This historic stadium was built during Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II's reign and is situated at the Rambagh Circle.

The stadium has a capacity of accommodating 30,000 fans and it is considered one of the finest stadiums in India, especially after renovations in 2006. While the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad has also hosted Rajasthan Royals' home matches, the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati hosted their games during the 2023 season.

After a two-year suspension, which included a ban on hosting matches for four years, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur started hosting Royals' home games again from the 2018 IPL season.

Captains & Legendary Players who played for RR

Player	Matches	From	To	Won	Lost	Win%
Shane Warne	56	2008	2011	31	24	55.35
Shane Watson	21	2008	2015	7	11	33.33
Rahul Dravid	40	2012	2013	23	17	57.50
Steve Smith	27	2014	2020	15	11	57.50
Ajinkya Rahane	24	2018	2019	9	15	37.50
Sanju Samson	45	2021	Present	22	23	48.88

Notable Players:

Indian Players:

Rahul Dravid

Yusuf Pathan

Ajinkye Rahane

Munaf Patel

Ravindra Jadeja

Pravin Tambe

Sanju Samson

Naman Ojha

Muhammad Kaif

Jaydev Unadkat

Overseas Players:

Shane Warne

Shane Watson

Sohail Tanvir

Steve Smith

Ben Stokes

Justin Langer

Graeme Smith

Jofra Archer

Johan Botha

Damien Martin

Season-wise Performance of Rajasthan Royals IPL Team

Indian Premier League

IPL Season	Final Standings	Wins	Losses	Total	Summary
2008	1st	13	3	16	81.25%
2009	6th	6	7	14	League stage
2010	7th	6	8	14	League stage
2011	6th	6	7	14	League stage
2012	7th	7	9	16	League stage
2013	3rd	11	7	18	Playoffs
2014	5th	7	7	14	League stage
2015	4th	7	6	15	Playoffs
2016	Suspended
2017	Suspended
2018	4th	7	8	15	Playoffs
2019	7th	5	8	14	League stage
2020	8th	6	8	14	League stage
2021	7th	5	9	14	League stage
2022	2nd	10	7	17	Runners-up
2023	5th	7	7	14	League stage
Total		103	102	208	1 Time Champion

Top Performers for Rajasthan In IPL Cricket

Most Runs For RR

Period	Player	Matches	Runs	Innings
2013-2023	Sanju Samson	130	3403	126
2011-2019	Ajinkye Rahane	106	3098	99
2018-2023	Joss Buttler	72	2696	71
2008-2015	Shane Watson	84	2474	81
2011-2013	Rahul Dravid	52	1324	51

Most Wickets For RR

Period	Player	Matches	Wickets	Average
2008-2015	Shane Watson	84	67	27.83
2008-2013	SK Trivedi	76	93	20.55
2008-2011	Shane Warne	43	52	26.92
2013-2015	James Faulkner	41	46	30.19
2022-2023	Yuzi Chahal	43	41	30.78

Rajasthan Royals Rivalries in IPL:

The Royals do have some bitter rivals in the IPL and whenever they play against them, the cricket fans are always entertained with thrilling matches.

Rivalry with Gujrat Titans:

Gujrat Titans might be a new addition to the IPL Cricket but within two years of its inclusion in IPL, they have garnered huge success. However, both teams have developed a strong rivalry as there have been heated arguments between the players on the field. These IPL teams have been head to head in 5 matches and the Titans have dominated the record but cricket fans really predicted that the Titans and the Royals will be a rivalry to be remembered for ages.

Rivalry with Punjab Kings:

The Northern Derby is the term used for matches between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. As both teams’ origins lie in the northern part of the country, the IPL teams have been a part of some of nail-biting matches having everything for a cricket fan. 

A famous incident happened when Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler through Mankad, the whole social media and fans of the teams were divided and that incident just added more excitement and fire to this rivalry.