IPL preferred over Domestic Cricket as Ranji Trophy match shifted from Original Venue

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Although BCCI and the Indian coaching contingent have given strict guidelines and importance to domestic cricket for international stars, a stark difference is being observed when it comes to implementing them on their own behalf.

Ranji Trophy, the premier domestic red ball tournament is the latest to suffer as an important match has been shifted from its original venue for IPL preparations.

The Ranji Trophy clash between Rajasthan and Vidarbha has been relocated from the iconic Sawai Mansingh Stadium (SMS) in Jaipur to the KL Saini Stadium. The decision was made to prioritize pitch preparations for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals, despite the tournament being two months away.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium recently hosted seven Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, but the Ranji Trophy game couldn't be accommodated. Initially, the match was slated to be moved to Udaipur or Jodhpur due to the state Republic Day celebrations, which were to be held at SMS and coincided with the final day of the Ranji Trophy round. However, the Rajasthan government later shifted the celebrations to Udaipur. But due to IPL preparation starting in full fledge, the match now has been shifted.

"We understood that the state-level Republic Day celebrations were moved from Jaipur to Udaipur only a few weeks back. So we decided to move the game back to Sawai Mansingh, but the work for the IPL had begun by then," an official told The Indian Express.

Although the IPL is still two months away, pitch work at the stadium has already begun, making it unavailable for the Ranji Trophy match. Grass-cutting work is currently underway as part of preparations for the T20 league.

"We were left with no choice but to move the game to KL Saini because the grass-cutting work had begun at SMS," the official added.

Rajasthan Royals, coached by former India head coach Rahul Dravid, have already started their camp ahead of IPL 2025. The team is captained by Sanju Samson and made some decent buys in the mega auction.