Rajasthan Royals set to open academy in Bangladesh

To broaden their base, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals are eyeing an academy in Bangladesh.

Ranjit Barthakur, the chairman of Rajasthan Royals, alongside a few others from the franchise, visited the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka to inspect the infrastructure.

Rajasthan Royals, the champions of the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, are looking forward to inking a deal with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). This will allow RR to have their scouts present in domestic tournaments and pick the raw talent available in Bangladesh.

Barthakur was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz:

“We want to open a [Rajasthan] Royal academy in Bangladesh. The plan is yet to be finalized, but we are thinking about [an academy] which can feed the whole IPL from here. We would like to send our scouts to discover cricketers from the grassroots, to prepare them by honing their skills, so that both of the bodies (RR and BCB) can utilize their talents and skills. I am here to see how we can have an exchange program for cricket so that we can flourish jointly, as the eastern Himalayan territory, rather than territories of India and Bangladesh."

The Rajasthan Royals chairman further added in this regard:

"Teams like Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai had looked at Bangladeshi players as potential recruits over the years, and we are definitely looking at them right now. They’ve got grit; they play under very difficult situations, so I think it’s very important.”

READY. TO. #HALLABOL. 💗#RoyalsFamily pic.twitter.com/azu2muN62Y

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 21, 2021

Rajasthan Royals' biggest fanbase after Kolkata and Chennai is in Bangladesh, followed by Northeast India. The Jaipur-based franchise are looking to promote the sport in these regions.

Rajasthan Royals won’t push Mustafizur Rahman to skip national duty

Mustafizur Rahman was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2021.

Mustafizur Rahman was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2021 Auction for ₹1 crore. However, the Bangladesh pacer could skip the cash-rich league in favor of representing his nation against Sri Lanka.

Barthakur clarified that RR wouldn’t force Mustafizur to play for them at the expense of skipping national duty. Although the BCB are ready to provide the fast bowler with a NOC, as they did for Shakib Al Hasan, the 25-year-old isn’t prepared to skip Bangladesh’s international assignments to play in the IPL.

“We have taken ‘The Fizz’ in our team, we have bid for him. Hopefully, he will play. But his duty towards his country comes first, after that, it comes to the Rajasthan Royals. So, let me see when he comes, I hope he is selected nationally also, but if he doesn’t, we are always there for him,” Barthakur added.

Ever since the inception of the IPL, Rajasthan Royals have created an identity of unearthing high-potential talents and backing them. Historically known for their frugal spending, they, however, shelled out ₹16.25 crore for Chris Morris recently.

Rajasthan Royals released Steve Smith, their captain for the 2020 season, and appointed Sanju Samson as his successor. The RR have also roped in Kumar Sangakkara as their Director of Cricket.

Reunited as Royals. 🔜💗#HallaBol | @KumarSanga2 | @Mustafiz90 pic.twitter.com/ypPcwByRkf

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 28, 2021