IPL In Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals Seek Indemnity Waiver After Safety Concerns

Racing against time to make the stadium match-ready for the IPL, Rajasthan Royals have sought an indemnity waiver from the state government to host matches in Jaipur, following concerns raised by an independent audit firm and the BCCI over venue preparedness. While Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium has received the government's nod to host RCB games for the upcoming season, there is still no clarity over the home venue for Rajasthan Royals.

With the uncertainty surrounding the Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS), the BCCI has not been able to share the final IPL schedule with the franchises.

Sources told PTI that the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) has dismissed a majority of the safety concerns raised by Tata Projects in its 700-page audit report, despite the BCCI ranking the stadium as the lowest in terms of fan experience.

In the aftermath of the deadly stampede at Chinnaswamy last year, it is understandable that another franchise would not want to take a chance with fan safety at its home venue.

Therefore, the Royals have sought an indemnity letter from the RSSC. The fact that the state association is run by an ad-hoc body has further complicated matters.

The IPL franchise, through Tata Projects, had earlier submitted a 700-page audit of the SMS Stadium, highlighting major fan safety concerns and deeming the venue unsafe to host IPL matches.

In response to the two-month audit, the RSSC commissioned a committee-including its PWD department-which conducted a ten-day assessment and concluded that the Royals' concerns were unfounded, barring minor repair work, and that the stadium is fully ready to host the IPL.

The BCCI, however, has repeatedly raised concerns about the venue and continues to rate it as the lowest in fan experience.

"Unfortunately, SMS Stadium significantly lags behind other IPL venues in modern facilities and overall fan experience," said a BCCI source, adding, "Safety and security protocols, fan experience, and the overall comfort of people and families coming to watch matches at SMS Stadium are paramount to the IPL and are non-negotiable."

The source also pointed out that the RSSC had been warned last year that the board does not encourage direct liaison with the state government or local authorities except through its member association, and that a special permission had been granted to the RSSC during IPL 2024 and 2025 in the absence of a functioning RCA.

"It was a one-time dispensation under exceptional circumstances, and this was clearly communicated. It cannot be treated as a precedent and cannot continue," the source added.

As part of the audit, tests were conducted according to central government-established and updated national regulatory codes, including the National Building Code, National Electric Code, Fire Code, and Safety Code for Sports Grounds.

The report revealed severe deficiencies in life safety, structural integrity, and statutory compliance, noting that SMS Stadium fails to meet minimum safety standards across all parameters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 Cricket