IPL 2026: Which stadium will host season opener & final: Revealed

IPL 2026 will start in the last week of March.

Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is one of the most iconic cricket venues in India. It has hosted some of the most memorable games in cricket history. This is also the home venue for the current IPL champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

There was some uncertainty about whether this venue would host any games in the upcoming edition of the tournament. However, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has received the green signal ahead of IPL 2026, and the iconic venue will once again host matches in the upcoming season.

The IPL 2026 is all set to begin in the last week of March, and the final is likely to be held on May 31. A total of 84 matches will be played between 10 teams, out of which five matches will be held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Apart from these five matches, the Chinnaswamy Stadium is likely to host three more important matches in IPL 2026.

Chinnaswamy Stadium is likely to host the season opener & final: Reports

RCB are the defending champions of IPL. After getting the green signal from the Karnataka government, five home matches of RCB have been confirmed to be played on this ground.

Meanwhile, the other two home matches for the reigning champions will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium came under scrutiny for security concerns after 11 fans died in a stampede during RCB’s victory parade in June last year. After this, a high-level review was done.

The state government granted permission on January 17 to resume cricket activities. On February 12, an official clearance made a way for the RCB to return to this venue to play their home matches.

In a latest interaction, Rajesh Menon, RCB CEO, stated, “The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground; it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive. The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home.”

According to Sports Today’s report, apart from RCB’s five home matches, the opening match, a playoff match, and the final are also likely to be played at this ground.

The schedule of IPL 2026, which was postponed due to elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, is likely to be announced this week.

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