Rajasthan Royals, the first champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), are facing a bit of drama after their narrow 2-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants. At one point, it seemed like Rajasthan was on track to chase down the 181-run target, but LSG’s Avesh Khan turned things around in the last overs. This loss has led Jaideep Bihani, who heads the ad hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, to raise some serious questions about the game, suggesting it might have been fixed. In a conversation with News18 Rajasthan, Bihani criticized the team, led by Sanju Samson, over the way they lost against LSG and why the ad hoc committee set up by the government seems to have no say in the Royals’ IPL dealings.
He pointed out that this committee was meant to oversee local cricket events, but it appears that control shifted to the Zila Parishad just as the IPL began. Bihani mentioned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initially contacted only the Rajasthan Cricket Association, not the district council, and he found it odd that RR claims they lack an MoU with Sawai Mansingh Stadium. He questioned why that should matter if they’re paying the district council for each match.
In the final over of the game, RR needed nine runs with Dhruv Jurel batting and Shimron Hetmyer at the other end. Avesh bowled brilliantly, allowing only 6 runs, which helped LSG secure a close win. Bihani has been vocal about the issues surrounding the Rajasthan Royals for some time, previously criticizing the Sports Council for sidelining the ad hoc committee in the team’s IPL activities.
