Rajasthan Royals want to come back with a new name in next IPL season
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Rajasthan Royals are all set to make a come back to the IPL next season but they requested the BCCI to grant a change of their franchise name. On the other hand, Kings XI Punjab also want to shift their venue from Mohali as they are not getting enough support from the state's fanbase.
The BCCI welcomed back Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for the next IPL season as they completed their two-year suspension for their team owner's involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. However, the Royals have approached the BCCI to change their team name and also want to shift out of Jaipur to another city. The Indian Express has reported that the franchise, which is officially owned by Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited, is keen on changing the name of the parent company.
“They have made the request but no reason has been given as to why they want to change the company name,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
But their request to change the venue from Jaipur could depend on when BCCI planned to lift the ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) which was imposed due to former IPL chairman Lalit Modi's participation in state body's election in 2015.
On the other hand, Punjab-based franchise Kings XI Punjab also sent their request to change their home base venue from Mohali to another city. The franchise cited the reasons that the state government has not supported them and local authorities also troubled them many times in all these years. They also claimed that the city doesn't have a proper fan base for the team while adding that they received more ticket price collection when Kings XI Punjab played some of their home matches in Pune and Indore in the last two seasons.
“They had bid for Mohali when the first-ever auction took place for IPL teams. So technically, if they want to change their base now, they will have to pay the BCCI. They have made this request earlier too but the board did not agree. The franchise has been facing many issues with the local police authorities. They have also cited lack of support from the Punjab Cricket Association. If they are allowed then chances are that their name will also change. It will be as per the new venue. The IPL GC will take a call on it,” the BCCI official added.
