IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals set to play their three home games in Guwahati

The champions of the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals are all set to play three of their home fixtures at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, Assam. Manoj Badale, the owner of the Rajasthan Royals, in presence of the Assam Cricket Association Secretary, Devajit Lon Saikia confirmed the developments on Thursday about the north-eastern state of India will be hosting as many as three games in the IPL 2020 edition.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with TOI, Saikia said that Rajasthan Royals had earlier requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play some of their matches at the Barsapara Stadium, something that had been approved by the Committee of Administrators back then before being formally accepted by the IPL governing council on Tuesday.

“The Rajasthan Royals had earlier requested the BCCI to allow them to play some of their home matches in Guwahati, and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had on August 13 approved their request. The approval was placed and accepted in the IPL governing council, chaired by former India batsman Brijesh Patel, at the BCCI headquarters on Tuesday,” Saikia told TOI.

“The Royals are willing to play a maximum of three matches in Guwahati. We will also have to take into consideration the logistical aspects, but it is confirmed that Guwahati will host a couple of matches,” Saikia said.  

Rajasthan Royals will also set-up a cricket academy in Assam

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals franchise has also gotten a go-ahead towards the implementation of their aspiration of setting up a cricket academy in Assam. Notably, it was Assam’s Riyan Parag, who was one of the leading performers for the Royals in an otherwise disappointing 2019 season.

“At present, the Royals have a couple of academies in different cities and are set to open their third academy in collaboration with the Assam Cricket Association in Guwahati. As of now, we have not come up with the nomenclature, but the academy is likely to come into existence from January,” Saikia said.

Meanwhile, the draft for the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League will take place in Kolkata on December 19.