Rajasthan Royals have long been associated with data-driven decision-making. Now, through their partnership with OpenAI, RR is taking that technology-first approach further, using artificial intelligence across both cricketing and commercial operations.
From analysing bowling and batting data to building AI agents, optimising ticket sales, experimenting with auction strategies and creating content, OpenAI's capabilities have become part of the Royals' wider technology ecosystem.
The Royals' objective is not to remove humans from the equation but rather use AI to process information faster, automate repetitive tasks and give coaches, analysts, marketers and other teams more time to focus on decisions that require human judgement.
How Rajasthan Royals are using OpenAI
Rajasthan Royals' in-house technology team have been experimenting with artificial intelligence since before ChatGPT became mainstream. The franchise's technology-first approach extends across its cricketing and commercial operations.
RR COO Alok Chitre told the Hindustan Times that OpenAI technology effectively serves as a "thinking and doing layer", bringing together information from multiple cricket-specific tools and data sources and turning it into actionable insights.
RR uses data from bowling and batting technologies, among other sources, which can then be centrally collated and analysed using OpenAI APIs.
This allows the Royals to work with both visual and non-visual information, including bowling actions and batting strokes, while giving their teams a more accessible way to interpret large volumes of cricket data.
AI and the discovery of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
One of the most intriguing examples of the Royals' data-led approach is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, RR's teenage batting sensation who has emerged as one of Indian cricket's most talked-about young talents.
Asked by the Hindustan Times whether AI played a role in discovering Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Alok Chitre held his cards close to his chest regarding their scouting methods.
However, he confirmed that technology was part of a broader process involving data and a large scouting network.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was not an established name when the Royals discovered him. Instead, the franchise identified him as a relatively hidden talent before he entered the spotlight.
The example highlights how RR approaches AI: not as a replacement for scouts, coaches or analysts, but as another layer that can help identify and assess talent.
AI helping coaches access cricket data
The Royals are also exploring ways to make sophisticated cricket data easier for coaches to access.
One example involves voice-to-text technology. Rather than requiring a coach to go through an analyst every time they want information, the coach can ask a question verbally, have it converted into text and receive an answer drawing on the franchise's analytical database.
The important distinction is that the coach remains the decision-maker.
AI simply makes the information easier to access.
Rajasthan Royals' Head of Technology and AI Innovation Karan Choksi described this as an example of understanding what AI does particularly well.
The Royals therefore use AI to remove friction from the process without removing the expertise of the coach.
Codex and AI agents: Automating the work around the work
One of the OpenAI capabilities RR has found particularly useful is Codex.
The franchise has used Codex to create agents for both cricketing and commercial applications.
A notable example is ticketing.
During the IPL season, Rajasthan Royals generate large amounts of dynamic ticket-sales data. Instead of having employees manually process and interpret that information, AI agents can analyse sales trends, identify gaps and highlight opportunities.
The system can also create visual representations showing how different levels of ticket sales could affect stadium occupancy.
That information can then inform decisions such as opening particular stands for sale or adjusting pricing.
The result is not simply automation. It frees employees from repetitive analytical work so they can spend more time on relationships, commercial partnerships and improving the fan experience inside the stadium.
AI-powered IPL auction strategy
The IPL auction is another area where data and human judgement come together.
Rajasthan Royals already have a large analytics team, but the franchise recently experimented with a different approach: opening its auction strategy to external ideas.
RR organised a hackathon that invited engineering graduates and other participants to develop models and recommendations for the ideal 25-member Rajasthan Royals squad.
Participants were able to use generative AI and OpenAI APIs to build their models.
The strongest entries were taken further, with the top participants invited to Abu Dhabi to present their recommendations and analytical models to RR's cricket leadership, including Kumar Sangakkara.
Some of the recommendations ultimately also influenced the franchise's eventual decision-making.
The experiment effectively brought outside intelligence into a process traditionally kept within franchise scouting and analytics departments.
Rajasthan Royals' 10-billion-view content strategy
AI is also playing a major role in Rajasthan Royals' content operation.
After crossing 10 billion views, RR became the first IPL team to reach that milestone.
To support its content ambitions, the Royals have invested heavily in people, technology and creative tools, including an in-house generative AI studio.
The studio has two people focused specifically on creating GenAI-led visual content.
One example is the creation of visual environments for player photoshoots. RR used ChatGPT to design sets and backgrounds despite the social media lead responsible for the work having no formal design background.
The idea was to allow creative teams to turn a concept into a visual execution much faster.
Using GenAI to create destination-based campaigns
The Royals have also used generative AI in commercial partnerships.
For one tourism campaign, the brand wanted Rajasthan Royals players to appear at multiple destinations.
Physically sending players to every location would have required considerable time and resources. Instead, GenAI was used to create visuals placing players at different destinations.
This allowed the franchise to produce the required campaign without transporting players across the country for multiple shoots.
As a result, it significantly reduced production time and costs while giving creative teams greater flexibility.
Keeping humans in the loop
Despite the breadth of its AI use, Rajasthan Royals repeatedly emphasise one principle: technology should not replace human judgement.
Alok Chitre said the franchise maintains human oversight throughout its content and operational workflows.
The aim is to produce content faster and at a higher volume without losing human nuance. Content still passes through people before publication, with checks and verification built into the process.
The same philosophy applies to cricket.
AI can analyse information, surface patterns and make data more accessible. But a coach still decides how to use that information, while players ultimately have to execute on the field.
Karan Choksi offered the example of voice-to-text as a useful boundary. If AI is capable of accurately converting a coach's spoken question into text, RR can use that capability to make its analytical database more accessible.
But the question itself and the eventual decision still comes from the coach.
What AI could mean for cricket fans
The potential impact of AI extends beyond the franchise's internal operations.
Head of Marketing, India, OpenAI's Sheeladitya Mohanty pointed to the opportunity to make cricket more personalised for fans, including through its integration with JioHotstar.
AI could also allow different fans to consume the same match in different ways.
A new viewer could use AI to understand rules, terminology and tactical situations in simpler language. A long-time supporter, meanwhile, could dive deeper into player matchups, historical statistics and tactical nuances.
For example, a fan watching Rajasthan Royals could potentially build a personalised experience around a player such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, explore his performances and matchups, and receive information tailored to their interests.
This transforms cricket consumption from a uniform experience into something much more individualistic in nature.
AI can enhance cricket, but not replace the game
The possibility of AI simulating cricket matches or generating alternative outcomes is an intriguing avenue.
However, the focus remains on enhancing the experience rather than replacing the sport itself.
Watching a live match carries an emotional dimension that cannot simply be replicated through data or simulation. AI can provide context, analysis and alternative ways of exploring the game, but the experience of seeing players compete remains central and unpredictable.
That distinction mirrors Rajasthan Royals' broader approach to technology.
AI can process the data. It can automate repetitive work. It can generate content and make information easier to access.
But the human still makes the decision.
A coach still reads the situation. A player still walks out to bat. A bowler still has to deliver the final over.
For Rajasthan Royals, the future of AI in cricket appears to be less about replacing people and more about giving them better tools to enhance and execute operations.
And as the franchise continues to explore what OpenAI's capabilities can do across cricket, commerce and fan engagement, one principle remains at the centre of the experiment: never losing the human touch.
