Cricket returns to Chinnaswamy! RCB to play at home in IPL 2026 as KSCA gets clearance from state government

Chinnaswamy Stadium was banned from hosting matches last year.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are gearing up for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is just a few months away from now. Last season, they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final to win their maiden title and inscribe their name in the record books.

However, their victory turned into a moment of horror on June 4. During their victory celebrations at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, a deadly stampede killed 11 people and injured over 50 others. Following the incident, the Karnataka Government banned the Karnataka Cricket State Association (KSCA) from hosting cricket matches at the stadium.

As a result, the stadium was also removed as a venue in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 last year, with DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai replacing it. However, after becoming the new President of KSCA, former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad vowed to bring back cricket at the stadium.

KSCA also conducted meetings with the Karnataka Government with an aim to conduct matches at the venue. The government officials ordered KSCA to make necessary infrastructure changes inside the stadium to ensure the safety of crowds.

Karnataka Government allows KSCA to host cricket matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium- Reports

As per a report by Cricbuzz, the Karnataka Government has allowed KSCA to host IPL and international games at the venue. In an official statement, KSCA reckoned that they are committed to implementing measures for the safety and security of the crowd at the stadium. They also added that a detailed roadmap for the work was shared with the review committee.

“The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the Government and the concerned authorities. KSCA is confident of fulfilling all the stipulated conditions. The Association has already presented a detailed compliance roadmap before the Expert Review Committee and remains fully committed to implementing all safety, security, and crowd-management measures in letter and spirit,” KSCA stated.

Meanwhile there were some media reports earlier which suggested that RCB have decided not to play their matches of IPL 2026 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The reports also claimed that the franchise’s management have kept DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur as options to host games.

But, with KSCA now getting permission to host the IPL again, RCB will be all set to make a return at their home venue.

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