“It can’t purely be about money” - Former pacer questions RR choosing Guwahati as second home for IPL 2025
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull questioned the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) choice of Guwahati as their second home after the side's dismal eight-wicket defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the venue on March 26. RR have been playing in Guwahati since IPL 2023 but have won only once in five games.
With a 0-2 start to the 2025 season after back-to-back hammerings to the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and KKR, RR's next game will also be played in Guwahati against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, March 30.
Reflecting on the franchise's decision to split their home games between Jaipur and Guwahati, Doull said on Cricbuzz (via Hindustan Times):
"Look, these sides are making money from the television rights deal, and Rajasthan, in particular, are 10 times more valuable than they were when purchased 18 years ago. So it can't purely be about money. They have to think about a home venue. Could you ever imagine Chennai moving away from Chepauk or Mumbai playing outside the Wankhede Stadium? It's just not going to happen."
He added:
"You want to make your home ground the best you can make. And when RR were a very good side, they were constantly winning at home in Jaipur. So, if you want to be a serious contender, you must maximize what is in your control, which is your seven home games."
RR have historically dominated at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, including last season when they won four out of their five games. The tracks at the two venues - Guwahati and Jaipur - have generally played differently, adding to RR's conundrum.
"They're looking at a team for two different venues" - Simon Doull on RR
Simon Doull believes playing at two contrasting venues makes RR's auction strategies to pick a squad more challenging. Their last win in Guwahati came against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2023 IPL season.
"When you're picking a team at the moment, they're looking at a team for two different venues, completely different venues because Rajasthan Sawai Mansingh usually plays really well typically just a really good surface. So you're trying to look for a team at an auction for two different venues, which does not make it easy," Doull said in the same interview.
Following the CSK clash on Sunday (March 30), RR will play their remaining five home games in the comforts of Jaipur, starting with a game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 13.