Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over Rajasthan Royals’ decision to start their IPL campaign with two home matches at their secondary venue, the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, instead of their primary home ground, the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur. Chopra questioned the logic behind the move, pointing out that it doesn’t make sense for the local Jaipur fans to wait until April 13 for their first home game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Rajasthan Royals aren’t the only team with a secondary home venue for the season. Punjab Kings will play three of their matches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, while Delhi Capitals will host their first two games at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag.
Their first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium will also not be until April 13 against Mumbai Indians. Aakash Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, expressed his surprise at Rajasthan’s decision, especially given their poor record in Guwahati. He highlighted that Rajasthan Royals have only won one out of their four games played at Barsapara, which raises the question of why the team is starting its campaign there instead of Jaipur.
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“By the time they reach Jaipur, it would be April 13. Twenty-odd days would have passed, and the local fans in Rajasthan will have to wait a long time to see their team play in their home city. That doesn’t make sense,” Aakash Chopra said.
Aakash Chopra also discussed the match schedule for other teams, particularly RCB, whose itinerary he found intriguing. The Bengaluru team will have the advantage of more home matches towards the end of the season, with three of their last four games and four of their last six at home. He noted that RCB managed to turn their home form around last season, winning key matches to qualify for the playoffs.
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However, Chopra pointed out that RCB’s opening and closing games are both against Kolkata Knight Riders, which could be tough, considering Kolkata’s recent victories over them. In conclusion, while Chopra questioned some of the venue choices for teams like Rajasthan, he acknowledged that the schedule could still work out for RCB, given their strong home form last season.
