Ahmedabad/Jaipur,Feb 18: Uncertainty looms over the home venue of the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season, with the franchise seeking an indemnity waiver from the state government to host matches at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS Stadium).
The move follows serious safety concerns raised by an independent audit conducted by Tata Projects and observations made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Due to the lack of clarity surrounding the stadium’s readiness, the BCCI has not yet finalised the IPL schedule for the Royals.
In contrast, Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has received government approval to host matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
700-Page Audit Flags Safety Gaps
Tata Projects submitted a detailed 700-page audit report on the SMS Stadium, highlighting severe fan safety concerns, structural integrity issues, life safety deficiencies and non-compliance with statutory norms.
The audit, conducted in accordance with the National Building Code, National Electric Code, Fire Code and Safety Code in Sports Grounds, concluded that the stadium fails to meet minimum safety standards across parameters.
The developments come amid heightened sensitivity around crowd management and stadium safety following last year’s deadly stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RSSC Rejects Major Concerns
However, the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) has dismissed most of the findings flagged in the audit. A committee constituted by the council, including officials from the Public Works Department, conducted a 10-day assessment and concluded that the majority of concerns were unfounded, barring minor repair works.
The RSSC has declared the stadium fully ready to host IPL matches. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the state cricket association is currently being run by an ad-hoc body.
BCCI Rates Venue Lowest in Fan Experience
The BCCI has repeatedly expressed reservations about the venue, reportedly rating SMS Stadium the lowest among IPL venues in terms of fan experience.
“Unfortunately SMS stadium significantly lags behind other IPL venues on modern facilities and overall fan experience,” a BCCI source said.
The source added, “Safety and security protocols, fan experience and overall comfort of people, family coming to watch matches at SMS stadium, are paramount to IPL and are non-negotiable.”
The board also pointed out that it had earlier warned the RSSC against directly liaising with the state government without routing communication through its member association. Special permission had been granted to the RSSC for IPL 2024 and 2025 in the absence of a functioning Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).
“It was a one time dispensation under exceptional circumstances, and it was very clearly communicated. It cannot be set as a precedent and cannot continue,” the source said.
With the season fast approaching, the fate of IPL matches in Jaipur now hinges on resolution of the safety concerns and clarity on administrative and regulatory compliance.
