Rajasthan Royals is a franchise cricket team based in Jaipur, Rajasthan that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team was established in 2008 as one of the eight original franchises of the IPL.

The inaugural IPL season in 2008 marked the birth of Rajasthan Royals. The team, captained by Shane Warne, defied expectations and emerged as the unlikely champions that year. With a modest squad comprising young Indian talents and experienced international players like Warne, they defeated the star-studded Chennai Super Kings in the final to claim the title in their debut season.

2009 saw the IPL move to South Africa due to security concerns in India. Rajasthan Royals failed to replicate their success from the previous year and finished sixth out of eight teams. The following two seasons in 2010 and 2011 were equally disappointing, as they finished at the bottom of the table.

The team's struggles continued in 2012 when they ended up second-last in the league stage. However, it was in 2013 that the franchise's darkest chapter unfolded. Rajasthan Royals, along with Chennai Super Kings, were found guilty of betting and spot-fixing charges. The franchise was subsequently banned for two years from the IPL.

Rajasthan Royals made their comeback in 2018 after serving a two-year suspension. Under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, the team finished fourth in the league stage but failed to progress further. The 2019 season saw a change in captaincy, with Steve Smith taking over the reins. Despite a decent performance, they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, finishing seventh.

In the 2020 season, which was held in the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajasthan Royals had a mixed campaign. They started strongly but faded towards the end, finishing at the bottom half of the points table. The 2021 season followed a similar pattern, with the team failing to qualify for the playoffs.

The 2022 season brought about a resurgence for Rajasthan Royals. Under the leadership of Sanju Samson and with the addition of players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, they finished as runners-up, losing to Gujarat Titans in the final. Jos Buttler emerged as the leading run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 863 runs.

As the 2023 season approached, Rajasthan Royals have retained their core group of players, including Samson, Buttler, Chahal, and Ashwin. They have also acquired the services of experienced campaigners like Joe Root and Jason Holder.

In 2024 IPL matches,  Rajasthan Royals started their season well but their winning streak was broken when they lost to the Titans on the last ball of the match. They followed this with a close win against Punjab. In the next season against KKR, the Royals equalled the highest ever chased in the IPL when they scored 8/224. After which they went on winning against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.

The team anthem used to be ‘Halla Bol’. In the first IPL season the song was sung by Ila Arun. In the second season, it was sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. Their current anthem is sung by Amit Trivedi and Mame Khan. The team’s mascot is a lion named Moochu Singh.