Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Rajasthan-Vidarbha match moved from Sawai Mansingh Stadium for IPL pitch preparation

To prioritize the Indian Premier League (IPL) over domestic tournaments, the Ranji Trophy clash between Rajasthan and Vidarbha has been moved from Jaipur's iconic Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS) to the lesser-known KL Saini Stadium on the city outskirts. 

The decision to shift the match was due to multiple factors, including preparations for the upcoming IPL season and an initially planned state Republic Day celebration at SMS. The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) had initially considered relocating the match to Udaipur or Jodhpur when Republic Day celebrations coincided with the final day of this Ranji Trophy round.

However, when the Rajasthan government moved the Republic Day event to Udaipur, the RCA attempted to bring the Ranji match back to SMS. Unfortunately, by then, IPL preparations at the stadium were already underway, making the venue unavailable.

“The state Republic Day celebrations are usually held at the Sawai Mansingh. Since the date clashed with the last day of this Ranji Trophy round, we were planning to move the game to Udaipur or Jodhpur. We understood that the state-level Republic Day celebrations were moved from Jaipur to Udaipur only a few weeks back. So we decided to move the game back to Sawai Mansingh, but the work for the IPL had begun by then,” a RCA official told as quoted by The Indian Express.

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We were left with no choice but to move the game to KL Saini: RCA Official

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium, which recently hosted seven Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, has been a regular venue for Rajasthan’s home games this season. However, with IPL 2025 scheduled to start on March 21, the ground staff prioritized pitch preparation for the T20 league. As a result, even a U-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy game scheduled for February was shifted to KL Saini Stadium.

The KL Saini Stadium, which last hosted a First-Class match in 2012, will now host the Rajasthan-Vidarbha Ranji Trophy clash from today. Both teams trained at the RCA Academy within the SMS complex, located nine kilometers from the new match venue. 

"We were left with no choice but to move the game to KL Saini because the grass-cutting work had begun at SMS," the official added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid recently visited SMS to inspect the pitches, which are being prepared for the T20 league. According to reports, four pitches at SMS are being prepared, with grass-cutting and other preparatory work already in full swing.