Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals have successfully concluded the Mumbai finale of the SupeRR Selector Hackathon, attracting 7,500 participants from 39 countries. The initiative received 1,500 valid submissions, making it the first fan-led analytics programme of its kind launched by an Indian T20 League franchise.
The hackathon aimed to place young analytical talent at the centre of cricket strategy, giving students, early-career analysts and young professionals a rare chance to engage directly with the franchise’s decision-making process.
From the global entries, 16 finalists were shortlisted and invited to the Rajasthan Royals’ Mumbai office for an in-person analytics challenge. During the finale, participants worked on real-world T20 strategy problems, refined their models with support from the Royals’ analytics team and presented their ideas to a panel of senior franchise members.
At the end of the day-long challenge, three winners were selected for their strong analysis and innovative thinking:
- Abhishek Akula (IIT Madras)
- Nitin Rajasekar (IIIT Hyderabad)
- Sainath Reddy (IIIT Raipur)
The winners will now travel to Abu Dhabi as Rajasthan Royals’ fan representatives at the Indian T20 League auction. They will also get a rare opportunity to present their case studies to Kumar Sangakkara and Giles Lindsay, gaining behind-the-scenes exposure to one of cricket’s most strategic events.
Speaking about the initiative, Giles Lindsay, Director of Strategy and Analytics at Rajasthan Royals, said the hackathon highlighted the strong analytical talent within the Royals’ fanbase.
“The finalists showed impressive creativity and depth in their thinking. It was inspiring to see them work on the same strategic challenges our team faces every season. This initiative opens our doors to fans and allows them to contribute directly to the game,” he said.
The SupeRR Selector Hackathon is part of Rajasthan Royals’ long-term vision to discover talent beyond the field and promote fan-led innovation. The franchise plans to expand such initiatives in the future, offering more opportunities for fans to take part in and influence the evolving sports analytics ecosystem.
