IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals to play two home games in Guwahati 

What's the story?

The Barsapara Stadium of Guwahati will become the 34th venue to host an IPL match as Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to play two of their home games of IPL 2020 in Assam. This decision was taken during a meeting between the top officials of the franchise, IMG-Reliance, and the Assam Cricket Association (ACA).

Barsapara Cricket Stadium, officially known as Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium can seat 40,000

The background

After expressing their displeasure over the behaviour of the administrators of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals had filed a request to play a few of their home fixtures outside the Pink City. The Royals earlier used to play their home matches in Jaipur and Ahmedabad however, the unavailability of the stadium in the latter city compelled them to adopt a new venue as their second home.

The heart of the matter

It is a moment of joy for us as @rajasthanroyals will play 2 matches in #IPL's next season in #Guwahati.I appreciate Sri @JayShah for this great initiative for the people of #NorthEastIndia.May the spirit of sports keep us united forever. @IPL@BCCI

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 14, 2020

Confirming this news on Twitter, Assam's Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for bringing the IPL to the north-eastern part of the country. Assam's Riyan Parag is a part of Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2020 hence, the fans in Guwahati will get a chance to witness their hometown hero play at home.

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium had recently hosted a T20I match between India and Sri Lanka where the hosts prevailed over Lasith Malinga's men.

What's next?

The schedule of IPL 2020 has not been declared yet as there is still some confusion over the starting date of the tournament. BCCI should reveal the schedule soon.

---