When Rajasthan Royals took on Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, something unusual happened: catches started slipping through fingers. It wasn't just a bad day in the field—it was the lights.

The stadium had just undergone a major upgrade, swapping out old floodlights for a state-of-the-art LED system ahead of the 2026 season. While the new lights brought a massive boost in brightness and visibility—pushing the maximum lux level from the league's lowest to an impressive 3,500—they also introduced an unexpected challenge for fielders: glare.

Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara was quick to address the issue, praising the upgrade while acknowledging the teething problems. "They've done a great job with the new floodlights. LED lights are quite different from what we're used to at other grounds—they're much brighter and offer far better visibility. But the adjustment is real. Fielders need to feel comfortable and not lose the ball in the glare," he explained.

Rather than letting the issue linger, the team took action. "We spoke to the ground authorities, and they worked with us to lower, extend, or change the direction of the lights. By the second game, it felt much better. It's never easy when glare is involved, but the fact that the lights are adjustable shows just how far modern technology has come," Sangakkara added.

For fans and players alike, this serves as a reminder that even the best upgrades come with a learning curve. But with a proactive approach and a bit of fine-tuning, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is now set to shine—literally and figuratively—as one of the best-lit venues in the league.