Rajasthan Royals exit Jaipur, shift home base for IPL 2026

Soumyajit Dutta

Rajasthan Royals to shift home base from Jaipur to Pune [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]Rajasthan Royals to shift home base from Jaipur to Pune [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]

In a major overhaul, after earlier reports stating a rift between the Rajasthan Cricket Association and the BCCI, the Rajasthan Royals franchise of the IPL will shift their primary home base away from Jaipur for the IPL 2026 season.

According to a report from Revsportz, the franchise will now use the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune as its main home ground, marking a significant change for the team historically linked to Rajasthan.

The Rajasthan Royals will split their eight home matches between Pune and Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, a venue where they have hosted most of their matches. A report from journalist Subhayan Chakraborty stated that the Guwahati stadium will likely get 2-3 matches, while Pune’s MCA Stadium will get the rest of the schedule.

Why Rajasthan Royals are shifting from Jaipur?

Notably, this decision to shift venues ends the possibility of the team playing all their home fixtures in Jaipur for the foreseeable future. This move comes after the Sawai Mansingh Stadium failed to meet mandatory safety evacuation standards.

While immediate safety requirements triggered the shift, the Jaipur stadium's exclusion is also rooted in a prolonged administrative crisis within the Rajasthan Cricket Association. The BCCI has mandated that the RCA must resolve its governance deadlock and conduct long-overdue elections before IPL cricket can return.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has emphasised the need for the RCA to form a properly elected body. The ongoing impasse, with committees failing to reach consensus on elections, has effectively locked the historic venue out of contention.

How effective will MCA Stadium comeback be?

The MCA Stadium in Pune, which last hosted IPL matches in 2022 and was once home to the Rising Pune Supergiant, is now set for a comeback. This development occurs amid broader venue discussions in the IPL, including earlier speculation around Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home ground, though Bangalore is expected to retain its matches.

Whether this homebase shift affects the footfall for Rajasthan’s home games in Pune or not remains a question to be answered. However, observing the Guwahati craze in previous seasons, the shift might see a large crowd turn up, as it acts more like a neutral venue for opposition teams as well.