Controversies have overshadowed our contributions in IPL: Ra

Controversies in the IPL and Rajasthan Royals just don't seem to get enough of each other. Each season, the franchise has impressed on the field by grooming young talent. Off it though they've had to deal with a great deal of upheaval at all times.

They finished fourth in the 2015 season and even managed to make a profit this financial year. But with the three-man committee appointed by the Supreme Court waiting to deliver its report on the Royals and Chennai Super Kings within the next two months, there's absolutely no respite for the team owners.

"Our largest unplanned expense (in IPL) has been legal fees. Without these, we would have been profitable in most seasons over the past eight years," says the team's principal owner Manoj Badale, who sat down for an elaborate and exclusive chat with TOI on Saturday during his brief visit to Mumbai.

It's his way of putting things in a lighter vein. On a serious note, the legal battles have left Royals with a series of headaches involving big money that have taken time being looked into by a spate of government investigating agencies.

"It's true that we have attracted our fair share of controversies, but many have not been of our own making. However, it is fair to say that for a franchise that places team ethic at the centre of everything we do, the internal challenges we faced have been the hardest - with players and owners accused of breaking rules," says Badale.

While four players were found guilty for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal, the biggest shock for the franchise came when co-owner Raj Kundra's name cropped up in the 2013 betting controversy.

"Raj Kundra has had no involvement in the running of the franchise, or in its day to day affairs (after the scandal broke out). He has also made it clear, as have we, that he is responsible for his own actions and not the franchise. He has already stepped aside," says Badale.

Raghu Iyer has been at the helm of the franchise's management in IPL, running its marketing affairs. He explains that fortunately for the franchise, despite controversies, long standing relations with various sponsors has never changed.

"Partners like Ultratech, TCS, Kingfisher, and Amity University have been with us through the good times, and stuck with us in tougher times. The number of new brands, which we have added this season is testament to the strength of the brand," says Iyer.

The franchise owners and officials admit that the image has been affected and it's been tough to run the team. "There is no question that the spot-fixing saga, and the alleged betting episodes have affected the image of the franchise," says Badale.

"However, the saddest part is that these sagas have overshadowed the massive contribution Royals has made to IPL. Our franchise is one of the most respected amongst other teams, in terms of the player environment that we create, and the professional approach to our off-field operations," he adds.

Unlike most franchises where team owners bring in a certain celebrity quotient, Royals have no such qualms that actor Shilpa Shetty is now missing from their ranks.

"The loss of Shilpa has clearly reduced our celebrity quotient, but from the inception of the franchise, owner focus, and owner spotlight has not been our priority," says Badale.

It's almost come to a point now where people have started pointing out how RR's name always figures whenever there's a controversy in IPL and it's a fact the franchise has been left to deal with.

"We cannot control the 'uncontrollables'. Our emphasis has been on building the most effective team we can, working within clearly defined budgets. We don't have the benefit of being an extension of an existing group, or the benefit of income from sister companies, so we have always tried to operate the franchise profitably on a standalone basis," says franchise chairman Ranjit Borthakur.

"To be profitable requires careful management of player costs, which in turn has led us to invest heavily in identifying and developing young talent," he adds.

Royals' spending pattern at auctions has always been impressive and so has been their choice of cricketers. Given their objective of managing franchise profitably, they've invested in as much new talent as possible.

"That has afforded us two great captains (Warne and Dravid), driven us to target international players before they became stars (Watson, Pathan, Faulkner, Smith, Tanvir), and to focus on younger Indians who didn't get a chance while they've played in other franchises (Rahane or Nair), or those who have been identified by our development camps (Samson)," says Iyer.