Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has criticized Rajasthan Royals' plan to play three 'home' games in Guwahati for IPL 2026, calling out the geographical disconnect from Rajasthan amid the BCCI's first-phase schedule announcement.
As part of the BCCI's IPL 2026 first-phase schedule released on March 11—covering 20 matches from March 28 to April 12 across 10 cities—Rajasthan Royals will play their first three 'home' games in Guwahati: against Chennai Super Kings on March 30, Mumbai Indians on April 7, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10. The remaining home matches return to Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned the franchise's strategy. "Two teams are getting three games apiece at home. One of them are the Rajasthan Royals, who don’t play at home at all. I have never understood their story to date, as to what their system is. Their home away from home is in Guwahati. All three of their games are in Guwahati. I am wondering what their connection with Guwahati is," he said.
Chopra highlighted the mismatch: "The team’s name is Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan is in the west of India. Guwahati is in the east of India. It’s understandable if Kolkata want to go there, as it’s their catchment area. You can still understand the affiliation for Guwahati since Riyan Parag is the captain now, but this team has nothing to do with Guwahati in any way."
The move is reportedly linked to captain Riyan Parag's Assam roots, but Chopra argued it lacks ties to the Rajasthan-based franchise. Separately, Bengaluru matches await Karnataka government clearance post-2025 stampede.
