The Indian Premier League (IPL) is arguably the most popular and glamorous of the world’s cricket tournaments. It has changed the face of Indian cricket and built a global fan base. Yet, the multi-billion-rupee league has had its share of serious issues as well, notably, allegations of match-fixing.
The biggest scandal in the history of the IPL broke in 2013 when Rajasthan Royals players were arrested for spot-fixing. The drama deepened further when the top officials of the Chennai Super Kings were also found to be associated with betting. The consequences were so dire that the Supreme Court banned both teams from playing for two seasons.
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Though these types of accusations did not blaze following this, the Rajasthan Royals appeared to be embroiled again in similar types of allegations. Jaideep Bihani, the BJP’s Sri Ganganagar MLA and convener of the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s (RCA) ad hoc committee, recently accused Rajasthan Royals of match fixing. Nevertheless, the team not only strongly denied these allegations but also took some stringent steps.
Rajasthan Royals strongly denied claims of match fixing
These claims stirred controversy, and within no time, RR officials came forward to refute his claims. Speaking to the media, Deep Roy, a top Rajasthan Royals official, rubbished accusations, saying that they were “false, baseless, and without any evidence.”
Additionally, the franchise complained to Rajasthan’s chief minister, sports minister, and sports secretary, calling for harsh measures against Jaideep Bihani, the BJP’s Sri Ganganagar MLA, who made those claims. Their official statement said,
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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.
Jaideep Bihani accused the Rajasthan Royals of match fixing
Jaideep Bihani, convener of the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s (RCA) ad hoc committee, raised some serious accusations against the officials of the Rajasthan Royals. He accused RR of match-fixing during their two-run defeat against LSG.
Bihani questioned how they lost on home ground when they needed so few runs in the last over. Additionally, he accused the team of preventing the RCA from participating in the ongoing IPL 2025 season’s management. Speaking about this, Bihani said,
Rajasthan government appointed ad-hoc committee in the RCA. And after reviewing the work it has done, it was given an extension for the fifth time. During our tenure, we have organised several competitions from the district to the national level. However, the moment it was time for IPL, the district council took control of it. BCCI had first written a letter for the organisation of IPL to RCA. The district council gave an excuse that RCA doesn’t have an MoU with the SMS stadium. So what if we don’t have an MOU? Aren’t you also paying the district council for each game?
राजस्थान रॉयल्स का पिछला मैच फिक्स था?
RCA एड-हॉक कमेटी कन्वीनर ने लगाए गंभीर आरोप
BCCI और जांच एंजेंसियों जांच करें तो सच्चाई बाहर होगी- बिहाणी#RajasthanRoyals #IPL #LSGVsRR #BCCI #RajasthanWithNews18 pic.twitter.com/gMc65VxXMA— News18 Rajasthan (@News18Rajasthan) April 21, 2025
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Meanwhile, the IPL 2025 season is not going well for the Rajasthan Royals. They are currently in 8th place in the standings after losing 6 of their last 8 games. Their captain, Sanju Samson, is also out of the game due to injury. The team even lost their last 2 games from winning positions against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Delhi Capitals (DC). While the team took it as part of the game, these allegations raised some serious questions regarding the officials’ way of handling situations.
It will also be interesting to see if RR will be able to make their comeback in their upcoming match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The match is going to start at 7:30 p.m. on 24th April 2025 at Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
So what do you think? Will RR be able to put a full stop to these allegations by registering a win, or will these accusations take a more serious turn? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.
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