Good News for RCB; KSCA gets permission to host IPL 2026 matches in Chinnaswamy Stadium

RCB will play 5 league matches of IPL 2026 first phase at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) has begun, with the tournament scheduled to commence on March 28. In the opening game, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Out of RCB’s 7 home games in the first phase, 5 will take place at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The remaining 2 matches will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur.

The BCCI released the IPL 2026 schedule for the first phase a few days ago. After the schedule was released, the BCCI also mentioned that the games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium are subject to clearance from the Karnataka Government. Now, good news has come for the RCB fans.

KSCA gets permission from the Karnataka Govt to host games at Chinnaswamy Stadium

After an inspection and mock demonstration on March 13, the Karnataka Government has granted permission to the Karnataka Stadium Cricket Association (KSCA) to host RCB’s games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

In an official statement, the KSCA informed that they conducted a meeting with officials of the Karnataka Government and received permission to host matches at the stadium.

“We are pleased to inform that a meeting was held earlier today at Vidhana Soudha under the chairmanship of the Home Minister of Karnataka, Dr. G. Parameshwar, with the Expert Committee and representatives of KSCA, RCB and DNA. During the meeting, the Expert Committee presented its report outlining the preparedness and compliance measures undertaken at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” the KSCA said in a media release.

“Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee and after reviewing the arrangements in detail, the Home Minister has formally accorded approval for the conduct of the upcoming IPL matches at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru,” they further added.

The statement also added that all infrastructure works have been executed according to the recommendations of the expert committee. The KSCA has taken efforts so that the IPL 2026 matches can take place at the stadium in a safe and coordinated manner.

“The entire KSCA team, under the leadership of Venkatesh Prasad, has worked closely with the Home Minister, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, Expert Committee, Expert Sub-committee, other Ministers, senior State Government officials and all statutory authorities to ensure full compliance with the recommendations of the Expert Committee,” the KSCA said.

“This coordinated effort has played a significant role in bringing cricket back to the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as committed to KSCA members and cricket fans. KSCA looks forward to extending full cooperation and support to RCB in hosting the upcoming IPL matches in a safe, well-coordinated and professionally managed manner, ensuring a memorable experience for cricket lovers and the sporting community,” the statement concluded.

Notably, a deadly stampede took place near one of the gates of Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s victory celebrations last year. Around 10 people were killed, and over 50 others were injured in the horrific incident. As a result, the stadium was stopped from hosting cricket matches by the Karnataka Government.

The venue was also restricted from hosting matches of the Women’s ODI World Cup last year and was eventually replaced by DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

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