Rajeev Shukla Hails Raipur's Return as IPL Venue After Long Hiatus

He expressed gratitude to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise for allocating two matches in the city, calling it a matter of pride that a team featuring Virat Kohli is playing there.

Shukla also pointed to the steady rise in cricket activities in Raipur, including international fixtures and upcoming women's matches, and said the leased stadium, along with a proposed academy, would further strengthen the sport's growth.

He added that regular hosting of matches shows Raipur is becoming an established cricket destination, and emphasised that politics should not interfere with the game.

"Raipur earlier hosted two IPL seasons, and it is a proud moment that the tournament has returned here. I thank the RCB franchise for allotting two matches here, with Virat Kohli's team playing in Raipur, a matter of pride for the city. Continuous cricket events are being held, including international matches and upcoming women's cricket. With the stadium now on lease and an academy being built here, cricket will grow further. Raipur can no longer say matches are not being held; they are happening regularly. Politics should not interfere with cricket," Shukla told the reporters.

At the start of the season, RCB had confirmed that five of their home fixtures would be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while the remaining two matches would be hosted by Raipur at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their Raipur stint with a fixture against the Mumbai Indians earlier this week, followed by a clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. The city last hosted an IPL match in 2016, while only two T20 Internationals have been played at the venue since January 2018.

- ANI