Returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL) fold after a two-year suspension, Rajasthan Royals has appointed former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, K.P. Raghuvanshi, as its chief security and ethics advisor.
The former policeman will look after the franchise's own anti-corruption cell. Taking lessons from the past, where the players were involved in spot-fixing controversies in 2013, the franchise now wants to make sure that things go smooth in this edition of the tournament.
Royals' executive chairman Ranjit Barthakur confirmed the development. "We want to create the first security and ethics manual for cricket. That's the aim," Barthakur told Sportstar.
While Raghuvanshi and his team will closely monitor all the activities, they won't be travelling to the centres during the IPL. "He (Raghuvanshi) will have his own men, tracking the activities of the players. As of now this will be for the IPL, and we will assess the situation later," Barthakur said.
Raghuvanshi, now retired, is a 1980-batch IPS officer.
Speaking to this publication, Raghuvanshi too confirmed that he and his team will be working in liaison with the local police in all the centres, which will host IPL fixtures. "The Royals approached me and I have taken it up as a part-time role. I will rope in a few officers, who will work closely to ensure things are fine," Raghuvanshi said.
"Based on the past experience, the franchise has engaged me and I have accepted the assignment. We will look into everything in the next two months, when the IPL is on," the seasoned police officer added.
With the IPL set to begin next Saturday, Royals has ensured that things remain watertight when it comes to security.
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