Will the Pink City get to host IPL matches again?
That is perhaps the biggest question on the minds of cricket lovers of Jaipur. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium last hosted an IPL match back in 2013.
Due to Bombay High Court’s ruling to shift all the IPL matches out of drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30, Mumbai Indians will have to play their last three home league matches away from their home ground. On Sunday, the IPL governing council headed by Rajeev Shukla will decide whether Jaipur will host those matches or not.
Three venues are in the running to host Mumbai Indians’ last three home matches. Apart from Jaipur, Kanpur, and Raipur are also in the contention. However, Jaipur has a very good chance as Mumbai Indians has an affinity towards this city.
The Mumbai-based franchise has a very big fan following there. Every time the Rohit Sharma-led side played a match in Sawai Mansingh Stadium they drew full houses.
Jaipur has been robbed of IPL action since former IPL chairman Lalit Modi became the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in 2014. However, RCA was the first state cricket association to offer its stadium as an alternative venue for the shifted out matches from drought-hit Maharashtra.
The suspended RCA will have no authority in organizing the matches at Jaipur
Though the BCCI was influenced into accepting it as an option after Rajasthan sports minister Gajender Singh Khimsar spoke to the IPL commissioner. The BCCI wanted assurance that the suspended RCA would have no authority in organizing the matches at Jaipur.
Once this assurance was given to them, the BCCI was willing to consider Jaipur as a potential venue for Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians.
Although, Pune has already chosen Visakhapatnam as their alternative home venue. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians are yet to select a venue and Jaipur has the best credentials.
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium has the experience of hosting over 40 IPL matches. With good connectivity and availability of quality hotels, Jaipur might also be preferred by the broadcasters, who have to travel around with a lot of heavy equipment. The stadium was also considered among the best venues in the first six years of the tournament.
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