RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR) have sought an indemnity waiver from the state government to host Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in Jaipur, following concerns raised by an independent audit firm and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the venue’s preparedness.
While the government has cleared Royal Challengers Bengaluru to stage their matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the upcoming season, there is still no clarity over RR’s home venue. With uncertainty surrounding the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the BCCI has yet to share the final IPL schedule with the franchises.
Sources told PTI that the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) has dismissed most of the safety concerns flagged by Tata Projects in its 700-page audit, despite the BCCI ranking the stadium among the lowest in terms of fan experience.
In the aftermath of last year’s stampede at Chinnaswamy, RR are reluctant to take any risks related to spectator safety at their home ground. As a result, the franchise has sought an indemnity letter from the RSSC. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the state association is currently being run by an ad-hoc body.
Earlier, the franchise, through Tata Projects, had submitted the extensive audit report on the SMS Stadium, highlighting significant fan safety issues and deeming the venue unfit to host IPL matches.
In response to the two-month audit, the RSSC set up a committee that included officials from its PWD department. The panel carried out a ten-day inspection and concluded that most of RR’s concerns were unfounded, noting only minor repair work was required and that the stadium was ready to host IPL fixtures.
A BCCI source also indicated that the RSSC had been cautioned last year, as the board does not encourage direct coordination with state governments or local authorities outside its member associations. Special permission was granted to the RSSC during the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons due to the absence of a functioning Rajasthan Cricket Association.
The audit was conducted in line with national regulatory standards, including the National Building Code, National Electric Code, Fire Code and the Safety Code for sports grounds. However, the report highlighted serious shortcomings in life safety, structural integrity and statutory compliance, stating that the SMS Stadium failed to meet minimum safety standards across key parameters.
