IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals to play two matches in Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati

The upcoming 13th edition of the Indian Premier League is one of the most awaited tournaments this year. This season of the cash-rich league will be of utmost importance for all cricket teams as their players will be able to showcase their T20 specialties ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Almost every franchise of the IPL will be playing each of their league games at their home town, however, Rajasthan Royals are the odd franchise out, given that they had requested the IPL governing council to move their matches out of Jaipur citing some problems. Though the IPL GC had refused to move all the games out of their home base, they have allowed the Rajasthan franchise to play two of their games outside Jaipur.

Barsapara Stadium to host two matches of RR franchise

It was announced on the Indian Premier League website that the Steve Smith-led team will be playing two matches against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 5 and 9 respectively at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Both games will be played with the starting time being 8 PM IST. “The @rajasthanroyals are all set to move to Guwahati for 2 games Guwahati are you ready,” IPL tweeted.

The relationship between the franchise and the officials at the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s (RCA) has not been the most cordial one. The franchise feels the infrastructure at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium are lacking basic and advance amenities and termed the Association’s treatment as “complete harassment”.

“Be it at the state’s sports council, under whose aegis the Rajasthan Cricket Association(RCA) falls, the state machinery catering to law and order, the former officials of the RCA itself and the political bigwigs in the state…they’ve all collectively given Rajasthan Royals nothing but trouble over the years,” the officials stated as quoted by Times of India.

Earlier, the franchise was slapped with a PIL with petitioners claiming that moving the home of Rajasthan Royals to Guwahati “would be disrespectful to the state of Rajasthan”. The Franchise will play their first match in IPL 2020 against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and will host their first game of the season against DC in Guwahati.