Rajasthan Royals CEO’s Great-Great Grandfather Invented the Penalty Kick in Football
A fascinating connection between cricket and football has emerged on social media, revealing that the great-great grandfather of Rajasthan Royals (RR) CEO Jake Lush McCrum invented the penalty kick in football.
William McCrum, an Irish businessman and goalkeeper, is widely credited with introducing the concept of the penalty kick in 1890. In response to a query on Twitter, Jake Lush McCrum confirmed the veracity of this claim, stating that he had recently visited the spot where the penalty kick was first conceived.
In 1890, William McCrum suggested the idea of a penalty kick to the Irish Football Association, and the first-ever penalty kick was taken under his direction. Fast forward to today, his great-great grandson Jake has become a prominent figure in another sporting phenomenon: the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Jake Lush McCrum has been associated with the Rajasthan Royals since 2017 and has served as their CEO since 2021. The Royals have been making headlines ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, having appointed former India coach Rahul Dravid as their head coach.
Despite having the lowest auction purse of Rs 41 crore, RR has retained five capped players and one uncapped player. Captain Sanju Samson and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal were retained for Rs 18 crore each, while all-rounder Riyan Parag and wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel were retained for Rs 14 crore each. West Indian powerhitter Shimron Hetmyer was retained for Rs 11 crore.
However, RR surprisingly released franchise stalwarts Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, as well as Ravichandran Ashwin. The Royals will enter the auction with a depleted squad but will hope to bolster their ranks with strategic acquisitions.
