Rajasthan Royals mulls shifting base to some other city after problems from state authorities

Over the years, Rajasthan Royals have remained one of the most unsuccessful teams even though they managed to win the first edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008. The team, despite possessing some of the biggest names in world cricket like Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes, have managed nothing but disappointments for their fans. In such situation, the last thing they can manage is off-field issues and the Royals management seem to be completely fed up now.

"Be it the state's sports council, under whose aegis the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) falls, the state machinery catering to law and order, the former officers of the RCA itself and political bigwigs in the state... they've all collectively given Rajasthan Royals nothing but trouble over the years. Plain harassment, that's what we've suffered," franchise officials told TOI.

A couple of days ago, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Rajasthan High Court over shifting of matches from Jaipur to Guwahati. The Royals management had requested the BCCI to grant them the move in order to attract a new fan base - something that is still pending on multiple fronts. The Royals official claimed that the demand for free tickets from the police or other state-backed authorities and the mandatory allotment of seats to RCA are festering issues which forced the franchise into losses.

"Even a back-of-the-envelope math on their revenues in Jaipur will show how the franchise has been losing money. Look at the stadium. It's in such a bad state. The newly-elected body in RCA has just come in and they'll need time even if they're looking to correct things. The place has been a mess for quite some time now. Over the years, the RCA has failed to come up with good infrastructure anywhere outside of Jaipur," the official further claimed.

However, the official still wants to stay clear of the controversy, claiming that their "rogue" franchise reputation will not help them in any way if they make the matter personal. However, he spoke glowingly about the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, saying "the lovely venue" will welcome them if the request goes ahead.

"As it is, we've always been seen as the 'rogue' IPL franchise. We've always found ourselves in some kind of trouble or the other. Making it personal will only lead us on to that path again," said an official. It's a lovely ground. Some of our leading players visited there and praised the venue. There's a strong Marwari presence in the northeast (Royals' fan-base in Rajasthan) and we feel welcome there. That's why we put in a request," the official added.