Rajasthan Royals is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across cricket strategy and business operations, deploying AI for player auctions, analytics, scouting, content creation, marketing and ticketing as the IPL franchise builds a more data-led operating model.
The franchise is using tools including OpenAI's ChatGPT to make large volumes of cricket and commercial data easier for teams to access and analyse. Its adoption extends from coaches and analysts to departments including marketing, sponsorships, finance and human resources.
Player auctions are one area where the technology is being applied. Karan Choksi, Head of Technology & AI Innovation at Rajasthan Royals, said the number of possible auction outcomes can quickly become extremely complex because every franchise follows a different strategy.
Rajasthan Royals has developed a companion tool with OpenAI to analyse these scenarios more efficiently. Its broader analytics operation also uses AI to simulate auctions, line-ups and trade evaluations, allowing the franchise to test large numbers of possible outcomes before decisions are made.
AI is also changing how coaches access performance information. Previously, coaches or players could approach analysts with individual questions and wait for the relevant information to be retrieved. A query tool now allows coaches to ask questions directly and receive information from the franchise's data systems more quickly.
The Royals are using simulations to examine different line-ups, player roles, opposition combinations and playing conditions. Giles Lindsay, Director of Strategy & Analytics at Rajasthan Royals, said the technology can run thousands of what-if scenarios in seconds.
However, Lindsay stressed that AI is not making cricketing decisions or replacing expert judgement. Instead, the models provide probabilities and possible outcomes that coaches and strategy teams can use when making decisions.
The franchise also uses a live dashboard during matches, within applicable IPL restrictions, to compare developments on the field against existing models. Factors such as match-ups, expected run rates, wickets, balls remaining and game context can be analysed to support tactical decisions.
Technology is also being applied during training. Rajasthan Royals uses Str8bat sensors to collect batting metrics and FullTrack.ai to capture, clip and tag deliveries automatically. The resulting information can help coaches examine factors including bat speed, timing, bowling speed, swing, spin and pitch location.
Beyond cricket operations, AI has entered the franchise's marketing workflow. Rajasthan Royals said ChatGPT's image-generation capabilities have been used to develop creative concepts and reduce some production requirements.
Ticketing provides another commercial use case. The franchise feeds sales information into AI tools to identify stands experiencing weaker demand and assess where additional marketing activity or pricing changes could be considered.
Rajasthan Royals has also experimented with crowdsourcing analytics through its SupeRR SelectoRR Hackathon. Selected participants contributed auction strategy ideas, with the franchise saying a winning strategy informed actual player purchases.
The adoption reflects a broader shift in professional sport, where AI is moving beyond performance statistics into scouting, operational automation, commercial decision-making and fan engagement.
For Rajasthan Royals, the approach remains centred on combining technology with human expertise. As AI tools become faster at processing scenarios and retrieving information, the franchise is positioning them as decision-support systems rather than substitutes for coaches, analysts and players.