Ever since it kicked off in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become one of the biggest and arguably the best T20 league in the world. It has created a benchmark for various other leagues. This cash-rich Indian T20 extravaganza has become a vital part of the cricketing calendar and almost every player in the world wants to take part in it. The Indian Premier League produces top-quality cricket as the best compete against the best.
Currently, the IPL consists of eight teams and RR is one of them. They have always been a team that tends to punch above their weight and they were the inaugural IPL champions. However, they have had an indifferent run in the last few years.
Here, we look at the big question of what is RR full form in IPL? We also dig in to a few more details about the 2008 IPL winning franchise. We will also be noting some of the other full forms of various teams.
RR full form in IPL
The full form of RR in the IPL is Rajasthan Royals. They made their debut back in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008 and became the champions in that very season. They are currently led by Sanju Samson and boast of some prominent international names like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Morris and Jofra Archer. Jaydev Unadkat is the other big Indian name who has been in the side for the last three years.
After winning the IPL in 2008, Rajasthan Royals have gone through a big lull and couldn’t really replicate their debut season performance again. They have made it to the top four only four times, including the first season.
Rajasthan Royals are owned by the Manoj Badale-led Emerging Media IPL Ltd and they hold 65% of the stakes. Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners are the other key minor stakeholders.
Rajasthan Royals in IPL over the years
IPL 2008: Rajasthan Royals announced themselves on to the IPL scene with a bang. Not a lot of people gave the Shane Warne-led side even a small chance. However, they defied the odds and went on to lift the IPL title in the inaugural season of the league.
IPL 2009: Rajasthan Royals couldn’t back up their massive high from 2008 and were quite inconsistent in 2009. They won just six games and finished sixth on the points table as the IPL took place in South Africa.
IPL 2010: 2010 wasn’t any different from 2009 and in fact, in terms of position, Rajasthan Royals dropped to No. 7. They could muster just six wins from 14 games and managed to avoid a wooden spoon finish.
IPL 2011: Things didn’t improve in 2011 either despite the mega auction taking place. Rajasthan Royals continued to remain inconsistent. They finished sixth once again as they won six out of their 14 games.
IPL 2012: 2012 saw no improvement in the performances of Rajasthan Royals. Inconsistency was once again at the forefront as they could yield only seven wins from 16 league encounters. That saw them finish on the seventh spot on the points table.
IPL 2013: Rajasthan Royals finally came to the party in the 2013 season. They won 10 out of the 16 league games and finished third on the points table. They even beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator before losing to Mumbai Indians in the second Qualifier.
IPL 2014: In 2014, Rajasthan Royals agonisingly missed out on a spot in the playoffs. They lost to Mumbai Indians in the final league game and bowed out on net run rate. They had won seven and lost as many in the league stages.
IPL 2015: Rajasthan Royals shrugged off the disappointment of 2014 and qualified for the playoffs in the 2015 season. They managed to win seven games and lost just five (two washouts) as they finished fourth on the points table. However, they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator.
IPL 2016 and 2017: Rajasthan Royals were banned from the IPL along with Chennai Super Kings for two years. Three RR players were caught spot fixing and the two teams were involved in illegal betting activities as well.
IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals may not have had a fairy-tale comeback into the IPL like Chennai Super Kings but they did punch above their weight and fared well. They reached the playoffs as they finished fourth in the league stages – seven wins and seven losses. However, they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator.
IPL 2019: In 2019, Rajasthan Royals just about managed to avoid the wooden spoon finish. They could win just five games out of the 14 league encounters and a better net run rate helped them finish seventh.
IPL 2020: 2020 was by far the worst finish for Rajasthan Royals. They ended at the bottom of the points table. They were inconsistent and were on par with the sixth and the seventh placed teams (six wins and eight losses) but due to a horrible net run rate, they finished last.
IPL 2021: Rajasthan Royals made a middling start to the 2021 season. After seven completed games, they have three wins and four losses to their name. They will be hoping to gain some momentum in the second half and reach the playoffs for the fifth time.
Conclusion
Rajasthan Royals were never a glamourous team that stole the limelight. They are a team that usually punches above their weight. However, in the last few years, they’ve had superstars in their ranks and yet, they haven’t been able to replicate or come even close to replicating their 2008 IPL-winning performance.
Also Read: What is KXIP full form in IPL?
