T20 World Cup | Sitanshu Kotak press conference: ‘He has his own plans,’ on Abhishek Sharma
The Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) largely dismissed most of the audit’s safety concerns, saying after its own review that the problems were minor and could be fixed with routine repairs, and that the stadium was fully ready for IPL duty.A source in the know said that in light of the tragic crowd stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium in June last year, it is quite reasonable for the Royals to exercise extra caution. “Clearly, after such a recent and devastating incident, they refuse to overlook the potential risks at their home location,” the source said.The BCCI has faced uncertainty over the venue for both the Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of IPL 2026. However, while defending champions RCB have now received formal permission from the Karnataka government to host their matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Royals remain locked in a deadlock over their Jaipur base.A BCCI source highlighted the ongoing problems at the SMS stadium, calling it “significantly behind all other IPL venues in terms of modern facilities, overall fan experience and basic amenities”.The source added that the RSSC had received a one-time exemption to host the matches in 2024 due to the absence of a functional Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), adding that it had been extended to 2025 but could not become a permanent arrangement. “It is the franchise, the state cricket body and the IPL Governing Council who collectively organize and take responsibility for the IPL matches. They need to realize this reality,” the source added.