Rajasthan Royals are set for a significant logistical shift ahead of the IPL 2026 season, with the franchise planning to move its primary home base away
from Jaipur.
According to a report by RevSportz, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune will serve as Rajasthan's main home venue after the Sawai Mansingh Stadium failed to meet mandatory evacuation safety requirements.
The development means that Rajasthan Royals will not play the entirety of their home fixtures in Jaipur. Instead, the franchise will split its eight home matches between Pune and Guwahati's Barsapara Stadium, a venue that has regularly hosted a handful of Royals' games in recent seasons.
While the immediate trigger behind the shift is said to be infrastructure-related, the Jaipur venue's exclusion is also tied to a long-running administrative deadlock within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The BCCI has taken a strict stance on the issue, making it clear that IPL matches will not return to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium unless the state association resolves its governance crisis and conducts overdue elections.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has reiterated that the RCA must form an elected body in line with BCCI norms. The association has been functioning under ad-hoc committees for nearly two years - a situation that directly violates the board's guidelines. Matters have worsened after the current committee, led by D.D. Kumawat, failed to reach consensus on holding elections, paving the way for the appointment of a third ad-hoc panel in a short span.
Relations between the Royals and the state association have also been strained in the past. Last season, then ad-hoc committee convener Jaydeep Bihani accused the franchise's match against Lucknow Super Giants of being "fixed. " The allegation was strongly denied by Rajasthan Royals, with senior BCCI officials later dismissing the claim as unfounded.
Pune's MCA Stadium, meanwhile, is poised to return to the IPL map. The venue last hosted matches in 2022, when the tournament was staged across select cities due to scheduling constraints. Previously, it was the home ground of the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants.
Earlier, reports had suggested that Royal Challengers Bengaluru were also exploring alternative venues amid safety concerns surrounding the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, the Karnataka State Cricket Association remains optimistic about retaining IPL matches in Bengaluru.
With uncertainty surrounding Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals appear set for a temporary but significant relocation in IPL 2026.
