After the successful conduct of two matches during IPL 2023 last year, Guwahati gears up to welcome back the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May when the Rajasthan Royals play two “home” games at the ACA Stadium.

The inaugural IPL champions, led by Sanju Samson, will be seen hosting Punjab Kings on May 15 and Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19. Given the palpable excitement and anticipation in the NorthEast region, the franchise on Thursday announced that tickets for their first home match in Guwahati against Punjab Kings have now gone live on the official ticketing platform of the team.

With the Royals making a much-anticipated return to the NorthEast in May, fans will be able to secure their tickets from the platform, with the lowest online ticket starting from ₹1000 onwards. For fans who had registered for early access to tickets will be able to make their purchase from Thursday.

To provide students with the chance to also experience their favourite Royals stars including Guwahati’s own, Riyan Parag, the franchise will also launch ₹500 tickets which will be available to purchase at the box office at a later date which will be communicated closer to the matches.

Meanwhile, the franchise has also announced that fans who purchase tickets to the Punjab Kings match will also get the first access to purchase the tickets for Royals’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19, which will be made available at a later date.

Commenting on the IPL returning to Guwahati for a second successive season, Ranjit Barthakur, chairperson, Rajasthan Royals, said, “It was a great experience last season with the IPL coming to the NorthEast for the first time. The fans showed enormous warmth and love for our Royals, and we are thankful to the people of Assam for welcoming back the team again this season to their home. The team has felt their support not just during the season, but also round the year. We believe that the circle of cricket is a circle of great sportsmanship and affection, which our team is hoping to display when they take the field in May.”

Speaking on the impact of the return of the IPL on the region, Barthakur added, “We are hopeful that the IPL coming back to the NorthEast will help in revolutionizing the sporting ecosystem, and promote an athletic and active lifestyle amongst the population. We believe that the NorthEast and Assam itself has the potential to be one of the leaders in the sporting world, and the return of the IPL will accelerate that transformation.”

Royals’ all-rounder and IPL 2024’s second-highest run-scorer so far this season, Riyan Parag, expressed his excitement at his team’s return to Guwahati.

“It was a memorable experience last year to play at the ACA Stadium, and we are all very excited about coming back home to Guwahati to play two matches again. The team has been playing some good cricket, and we are looking forward to maintaining our steady start and providing our fans in the NorthEast with the chance to witness some good victories,” he said.