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The Rajasthan Royals are recently making headlines for all the unwanted reasons. After the entire Sanju Samson episode, former head coach Rahul Dravid decided to part ways with the franchise. This decision by the former Indian legend sparked rumours about a potential rift between Samson and Dravid.
However, with that being a part of history now, a new dimension has come to the surface for the Royals of Rajasthan. Their Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jake Lush McCrum has parted ways with the franchise. The timing of the news, especially after the proceedings at the franchise in the past weeks raises a lot of concerns.
McCrum had worked with the franchise for many years before taking up the role of a CEO in July 2021. He joined the franchise in 2017 as a General Manager, and was promoted to the post of a Chief Operating Officer. McCrum eventually went on to become the CEO, two years later. He had assumed the role of a CEO at Barbados Royals around 2022, which is three years ago.
Before a few months of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals are in a position that no franchise would want to be. It all started when Sanju Samson communicated his wish to look for probable options where he could play. The 2008 IPL champions were in communication with a few other franchises for the trade of Sanju Samson.
The RR skipper was also put up against the trade with Ravichandran Ashwin by most of the fans, but that was not going to work out. In the midst of all that, former head coach Rahul Dravid announced his decision to draw curtains on his stint at the franchise, leaving stakeholders shocked.
Reports about a potential rift between the head coach and captain came to life. In a franchise-based league like the IPL, it is often a regular feature for a difference in opinion between two people who are placed at a decision-making post. Though there were reports of a rift, due to which Rahul Dravid left the franchise, the intensity of the same ceases to be known.
And now, the CEO, McCrum has called time on his stint with the franchise. The management finds itself in a state of shock, which will take some time to recover. Rajasthan Royals made a choice to let go of players like Jos Buttler, who played for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2025 edition.
However, after all this chaos under one roof, the future of Sanju Samson remains hung by a thread. Franchises usually consider the possibility of opening the window for a player when they are sure to make a trade or a deal. And they did that for Samson. But after Dravid parted ways, whether Samson will stay or leave remains a question, which only time can answer.
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The very first step they will have to take is get every person on the same page. And this will have to start from the top-most level of their hierarchical order. If the CEO of the franchise chooses to leave months before a new season, there must be an underlying reason. It just cannot be the performance of the side in the last season. In that case, the decision could not have been this laggard.
The next step would be to determine the professionals who would be filling in for the important roles next season. Right from the vacant spot for the CEO, to the captain of the franchise. It is extremely vital for the franchise to dig in and figure things out, in order to improve their performances. Because the atmosphere inside the building has a huge role to play in the performance.
And they have positives to look at, in terms of performances. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the rising star who they signed last season has been doing wonders. His performances in the limited games he played last season instilled a lot of belief. If he continues to do that, it would do the franchise a world of good.
The Rajasthan Royals have got a good mixture of experience and youth. With players like Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer, they can build a string core. But a lot has been happening, and they need to clear the air first.
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