One month before the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off, the home ground of the Rajasthan Royals, Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, has been sealed by the Rajasthan Sports Council. The sudden action by the authorities throws the venues availability for the upcoming season into question.Why did it happenThe Rajasthan Sports Council claimed the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) failed to fulfill its obligations, including non-payment of dues and adhering to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The council served a notice to the RCA to hand over the property but received no response, which led to the sealing of the stadium, RCA office, and academy.We sent them numerous notices, but there was no reply. They had liabilities and did not fulfill them, said Sohan Ram Choudhary, secretary of the Rajasthan Sports Council. He added that despite receiving Rs 200 crore, the RCA failed to deposit money earned during the Rajasthan Premier League, leading to the drastic action.Are the matches going to happen at Sawai Man Singh StadiumHowever, Choudhary assured the public that the IPL matches and other scheduled events would take place as planned. This is our premise, and we just took it back. The matches will happen, and players will get all the facilities, he clarified.Politically motivated actions: RCA President The RCA, on the other hand, views the sealing as politically motivated and claims insufficient time was given to respond. This action is politically motivated, considering the old dues and the timing just before the IPL, stated RCA president Vaibhav Gehlot. He added that they were given less than two days to respond and will seek legal advice on further action.#WATCH | Jaipur: Rajasthan Cricket Association President Vaibhav Gehlot says, We have sent a request that MoU should be extended but it wasnt extended. We received notice two days back that the academy (RCA) and the stadium (Sawai Mansingh Stadium) will be seized by the sports… pic.twitter.com/gf27HgfbKF— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) February 24, 2024The Sawai Man Singh Stadium is scheduled to host the Rajasthan Royals opening match against the Lucknow Super Giants on March 24, followed by their second match against the Delhi Capitals on March 28. With the venue sealed and the dispute unresolved, the commencement of the IPL matches remains in the dark.
