The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is all to begin on March 28. The first match of the tournament will be played between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.
Aakash Chopra raises big concern for Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026
However, ahead of the season, former Indian cricketer and one of the greatest commentators of all time, Aakash Chopra raised a big question for the first IPL season winners, Rajasthan Royals.
Chopra asked Rajasthan Royals about playing three of their seven home matches in Guwahati instead of Jaipur.
Aakash Chopra reflected in the statement about the distance between Rajasthan and Guwahati. Not only this, he also mentioned that Rajasthan Royals do not have a strong connection with Guwahati, apart from beign the hometown of their captain Riyan Parag.
‘I have never understood their story’: Aakash Chopra
“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,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
‘Rajasthan is in the west, Guwahati is in the east’: Aakash Chopra
“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,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals’ schedule for the IPL 2026 first-half
Speaking about their schedule, Rajasthan Royals will play their first match against Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai Super Kings on March 30 in Guwahati. The next game will be against Gujarat Titans on April 4 in Ahmedabad. As the first-half schedule has been announced for now only, they are left with two more matches, which will be against Mumbai Indians on April 7. The following match will be against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10.