Rajasthan Royals planning to change home venue in IPL 2026, unlikely to play in Jaipur: Report

The Rajasthan Royals have been grabbing the headlines over the last few days, with the retention deadline coming closer. They are reportedly set to trade Sanju Samson with the Chennai Super Kings, but in another major development, the franchise is also likely to change its home venue before the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

According to a report in the Times of India, the Royals are planning to leave Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur and might end up playing their home matches at an entirely different venue in IPL 2026. It is pretty well documented that all is not well between the Royals and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) for quite some time now. Moreover, earlier this year, during IPL 2025, the RCA ad hoc committee convener, Jaideep Bhilani, also accused the team of match-fixing after they lost two Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)



by two runs.

Even the Royals had then come up with a strongly worded letter in response that read, "The statements made by the convener are without any evidence and serve only to stir unnecessary controversy. They undermine not just the Royals but also Royal Multi Sport Private Limited (RMPL), the Rajasthan Sports Council, the BCCI and the game of cricket itself."

Rajasthan Royals are not the first franchise to request for a change in their home venue. Earlier, Punjab Kings did the same as they were not pleased with the turnout in Mohali. They now play most of their home games in Mullanpur and a few at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Even the Royals played their first two matches at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati during IPL 2025. It remains to be seen if the Royals can opt to play more matches in Guwahati in the next season.