Jaipur: What should be a stable base rajasthan royals Instead, it has become a source of continued uncertainty. The Jaipur-based franchise is yet to decide whether to host most of its home matches at the Sawai Mansingh (SMS) Stadium, awaiting clearance from the top brass intense pulsed light and BCCI Officials raised concerns about unresolved security, infrastructure and administrative issues at the venue.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“The Royals, while agreeing in principle to hold the match at the SMS Stadium, have written to the IPL chairman, BCCI secretary and CEO seeking clarification on the lack of fail-safe measures at the Jaipur stadium,” a source said.
The SMS Stadium was renovated in 2006, but the venue has not received any upgrades since then, and although it continues to be used for IPL matches, it feels somewhat like it is frozen in time. Concerns remain over whether its infrastructure and safety measures, including evacuation norms and operational readiness, are adequate to handle the large crowds expected at modern IPL matches. The venue last hosted a T20I on November 17, 2021, and it has been more than a decade since it last hosted an ODI on October 16, 2013.The Royals are understood to have highlighted serious deficiencies in the stadium’s infrastructure. “From civil work to emergency evacuation, there are serious public safety concerns and the royal family has conveyed all information to the RSSC, BCCI and IPL Governing Council,” the source added.Since June last year, the franchise has repeatedly raised concerns regarding public safety (particularly life safety, structural integrity and statutory compliance) in all areas of engineering and operations with the RSSC, BCCI and IPL authorities in compliance with prevailing regulatory norms and standards.As RCA continues to be disbanded, the Royals, through a letter to the BCCI, requested guidance from the governing body and received approval. The last time Royals were forced to move their home games out of Jaipur was during the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons. This was due to the RCA’s notorious governance volatility, internal friction and leadership gridlock.RCA downturnGovernance at the RCA has been in a downward spiral, with no elected body under a series of ad hoc committees for nearly two years. While the IPL Governing Council has allowed Jaipur to host the tournament in previous years, it has issued a stern warning: the city will lose its right to compete in the 2026 IPL if the RCA fails to hold elections.Despite the ultimatum, RCA remained mired in internal strife. A leadership vacuum has also hampered the development of the RCA’s own stadium, which is expected to be the third largest in the world. The previous regime under Vaibhav Gehlot received a grant of Rs 100 Cr from BCCI in 2023, but after his resignation and temporary takeover, the construction work was abandoned. Dedicated cricket grounds remain the only long-term solution as multi-purpose SMS stadiums become obsolete.
