Kamal Ghorui
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals’ home ground, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, came under the spotlight during their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad for some uncharacteristic dropped catches on the field. The issue sparked widespread discussion, with players and experts pointing to the stadium’s newly installed floodlights as a likely factor. New LED floodlights were installed at the venue just before the start of the 2026 season. While they offer significantly higher brightness and better overall visibility, the players have faced initial difficulties adjusting to the stronger glare and altered light conditions.
Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara acknowledged the adjustment period for fielders. “I think they have done a great job with redoing the floodlights. They’re LED lights, and then you know, they’re quite different to what we are used to in other grounds. They are much brighter and give a larger amount of visibility. So we have been trying to see what the right adjustment is so that the fielders are comfortable and they don’t lose the ball in the glare of the lights,” Sangakkara said.“So we’ve spoken to the ground authorities and they have tried to lower or extend or change the direction of the lights. And in the second game, I think it was fine. It’s never easy when the lights are in a glare, but I think they have done a great job with the ability to adjust that as well, so it’s great for modern technology to have such good lighting,” he added.SMS Stadium now has a maximum lux level of 3500, a significant upgrade from being the lowest in the league until last year.
