Assam: Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings set to arrive in Guwahati on April 3 for IPL matches

In exciting news for cricket fans in Guwahati, the Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings are set to arrive in the city on April 3 for their Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to be held on April 5 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The Rajasthan Royals team will be led by Sanju Samson and will be staying at the Radisson Blu hotel in Jalukbari.

Meanwhile, in a recent development, spectators coming to watch IPL matches in four cities - Delhi, Mohali, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad - have been advised not to carry protest banners related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Paytm Insider, the ticketing partner of several IPL teams including Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, has listed banners related to the CAA/NRC protest as a "prohibited item."

The advisory, issued by the franchises that manage the ticketing business of their respective home matches, is usually done in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as major sporting events do not allow any publicity of sensitive political or policy issues.

The CAA, which was passed by the Parliament of India on December 12, 2019, had sparked protests across the country as the amendment was seen as discriminatory on the basis of religion. The NRC, on the other hand, is a register of all Indian citizens whose creation was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

With cricket fans set to return to the stadium after missing the action from the venues for three seasons due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Indian board, as well as the franchises, have perhaps wanted to ensure that no posters or banners of a sensitive nature are seen inside the stadium. The specific advisory was found while trying to book tickets for home matches of Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, and Hyderabad.