Rajasthan Royals (RR), one of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) franchises, find themselves at the centre of a storm following serious allegations of match-fixing.
The accusations, leveled by Jaideep Bihani, convenor of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) ad hoc committee, come in the wake of RR’s dramatic two-run loss to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2025 clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Bihani, an MLA from Sri Ganganagar, has called for an immediate investigation into the match, raising questions about the integrity of the game and RR’s management.
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The match in question saw RR, led by stand-in captain Riyan Parag in the absence of injured Sanju Samson, falter in a tense chase of 181 runs. With 25 runs needed off the final 18 balls and set batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Parag at the crease, victory seemed a formality.
However, LSG pacer Avesh Khan turned the tide, dismissing both Jaiswal and Parag in the 18th over. The final over, also bowled by Avesh, proved decisive as RR fell agonizingly short, failing to score the nine runs required despite having Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer at the crease.
Rajasthan Royals lost the match to Delhi Capitals (DC) as well in a similar manner.
Bihani, speaking to News18 Rajasthan, did not mince words, questioning how RR lost from a winning position. He also criticized RR’s management for sidelining the RCA in the organization of IPL matches. He alleged that the franchise has been bypassing the RCA, which is appointed by the state government to oversee cricket activities, in favor of the Zila Parishad for logistical arrangements at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
"On the home ground, how did they lose when requiring so few runs in the final over? The ad hoc committee was appointed by the state government in Rajasthan and its tenure has been extended for the fifth time. We ensure all competitions take place without issues. But once the IPL started, the Zila Parishad (district council) took over. For IPL, the BCCI initially sent a letter to the RCA, not the Zila Parishad. The excuse given by them and Rajasthan Royals is that we don’t have an MoU with Sawai Mansingh Stadium. If there’s no MoU, so what? Aren’t you paying Zila Parishad for every match?" Bihani said as quoted in an interview.
The allegations have reignited painful memories of RR’s troubled past, particularly their two-year IPL ban in 2016 and 2017 following the 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal involving players like S. Sreesanth and their former team owner Raj Kundra.
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RR Management Hits Back, Demands Action Against Jaideep Bihani
In a swift and vehement response, the Rajasthan Royals management has formally lodged complaints with the Chief Minister, Sports Minister, and Sports Secretary.
Deep Roy, a senior official with the team, labeled Bihani’s allegations as "false, baseless, and without any evidence."
The RR management issued a strong rebuttal, stating,
"We reject all allegations made by the convener of the ad hoc committee. Such public statements are not only misleading but have caused serious damage to the reputation and credibility of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Multi Sport Private Limited (RMPL), the Rajasthan Sports Council, and the BCCI. They also tarnish the integrity of cricket."
RR’s performance has been underwhelming, with the team languishing in eighth place on the IPL 2025 points table, having secured only two wins from eight matches. They now face a daunting task of regrouping ahead of their next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 24 with the weight of these accusations hanging over them.
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