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Rajasthan Royals - (Source: AFP)
In a significant development, Rajasthan Royals have received a major boost, as they are likely to continue playing in Jaipur for IPL 2027. Up until now, things were not going well between Rajasthan Royals and RCA, which led to rumours that the Riyan Parag-led side might leave Jaipur as their base.
The core conflict between the Rajasthan Royals and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) stems from administrative instability and fierce disputes over complimentary match tickets. However, a recent court ruling came in RR’s favour.
Why Did BCCI Threaten Rajasthan Royals To Move Out Of Jaipur?
For the last two years, the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) has been without a president and has been run by an ad hoc committee. The ad hoc system in place brought a lot of trouble for Rajasthan Royals because of a lack of cooperation. Nonetheless, the two parties worked together in IPL 2024 and IPL 2025.
However, for IPL 2026, they made an exception and allowed RR to deal directly with the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC). It led to the BCCI getting unhappy because the board is clear that they want the state association to be working with franchises for ground availability.
It led to the apex cricket board of India warning RR that they might have to move out of Jaipur to play their home matches if the problem is not resolved.
High Court Ruling Brings Relief For Rajasthan Royals
In the latest events, the Rajasthan High Court has suspended the ad-hoc committee, appointing Bhaskar A Sawant as the new sole administrator. Further, the court has ordered Sawant to conduct fresh elections in three months.
Now with the new committee set to be appointed in three months, RCA will again be in charge of dealing with the Royals, exactly what BCCI wanted from the start. Under the ad-hoc committee, several projects such as the half-built stadium in Jaipur could also resume and finish in time.
Why Rajasthan Royals Might Still Lose Playing At Sawai Mansingh Stadium?
Notably, Rajasthan Royals have only been dealt a boost by playing in Jaipur. However, they can still be forced out of Sawai Mansingh Stadium. For the unversed, an independent audit revealed that Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur is the most unsafe place and ranked last in terms of fan experience.
"Unfortunately, SMS stadium significantly lags behind other IPL venues on modern facilities and overall fan experience," A BCCI source informed PTI,
The BCCI source also revealed that the RSSC were warned last year that the board does not encourage direct liaising with the state govt, which is the RSSC.
What Are The Other Options For Rajasthan Royals As Their Home?
Rajasthan Royals are also lured by Guwahati Stadium, which serves as their host for a couple of games every year. Notably, the Men in Pink have an MOU in place with Assam cricket, which allows the Riyan Parag-led side to play in Guwahati in an effort to promote cricket in the north-east.
Therefore, Rajasthan Royals can also shift their base to Guwahati.
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