IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals all set to return to Jaipur after BCCI revokes RCA ban

What’s the story?

In a move that could further boost the fortunes of the Rajasthan Royals, one of the two sides returning to IPL next year, the home games of the franchise could be played in Jaipur for the first time since 2013.

The BCCI, on December 11, revoked the ban that it had set on the Rajasthan Cricket Association for having elected Lalit Modi as its president. The removal of the suspension will further bolster the chances of the Royals returning to Jaipur.

Earlier this week, two of the Royals’ top officials visited the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to have a quick look at the current state of affairs of the ground.

"The minister welcomed us back to Jaipur. We would also want it that way, now it's up to the BCCI to decide," a source, part of the Royals, told Sportstar.

In case you didn’t know…

Jaipur was a permanent fixture for the Royals until IPL 2013, but the following year, the BCCI decided to suspend the Rajasthan Cricket Association after Lalit Modi was elected as the president of the state body.

The Royals then shifted base to Ahmedabad, and played their home games in the Gujarat city until their suspension in 2015.

The heart of the matter

The two Rajasthan Royals officials, who went on tour of the SMS stadium, also spoke with the state’s sports minister, Gajendra Singh Khimsar. This came after BCCI’s acting president, Amitabh Chaudhary, had visited the city earlier this week to have a word with the state’s sports secretary, JC Mohanty.

What’s next?

The possibilities of the Royals’ return to the pink city remain high, after the BCCI, in an SGM held on December 11, revoked the ban on RCA, thus giving a green light to the franchise.

Author’s take

For fans of the game in Rajasthan, the news of cricket's possible return to Jaipur would be the ideal icing on the cake after having waited two years for the Royals' suspension to end. Ever since their triumph in the very first edition of the tournament, the Blue Army have been vociferous supporters of the franchise, and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has played out some thrillers. A return to its actual home ground, that served as a makeshift home ground for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2016, could also be an ideal reboot of sorts for the franchise.