Rajasthan Royals names Sawai Mansingh Stadium stands after former players

Rajasthan Royals has named stands at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium after Rahul Dravid, Shane Warne, Brad Hodge, Naman Ojha, Graeme Smith, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Munaf Patel, Pravin Tambe, and Dinesh Salunkhe.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur has been the official home ground of Rajasthan Royals ever since the inception of the IPL.

Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals has come up with an innovative nomenclature scheme to honour its former stars.

This time, if you are a Royals fan, you can sip on your favourite beverage and watch skipper Ajinkya Rahane dispatching the bowler for a swanky maximum over the covers from the 'Brad Hodge Room' at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. You can also sport the new pink jersey and cheer for the home side as Steve Smith goes for his pull shot from the 'Naman Ojha Rooftop'.

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And it is not just Brad Hodge and Naman Ojha whose names have found their places on the elite list. Shane Warne, Rahul Dravid, Graeme Smith, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Munaf Patel, Pravin Tambe, and Dinesh Salunkhe have also been dedicated stands at the Royals’ home venue.

Ticket prices to watch the matches from these premium stands, vary from ₹ 5,000 - ₹ 11,000. However, they are subject to change as per availability.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium layout.

 

Former Royals glovesman Naman Ojha said, “I found this out today morning itself. My wife let me know. Definitely makes me happy because that is a lot of respect!”

Dinesh Salunkhe, who played for the Royals in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, however, when contacted, had no idea that this had happened. He said, “I wasn’t intimated from any official source. If that has happened, it is great news.”

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Top officials in the franchise told Sportstar that this is a move to connect with the fans. “We believe that once a Royal is always a Royal and by naming the stands and blocks, we are making the brand more relatable for the fans,” one of the officials said. This, however, is a season-specific effort.

Rajasthan Cricket Association, however, made it clear that it was the decision of the franchise to name the stands after its old players. “It is only restricted to the tournament,” an RCA official said.

Rajasthan Royals plays its first match on March 25 against Kings XI Punjab at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.