Chinnaswamy Stadium receives government approval to host IPL, international fixtures

It is good news for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, and cricket fans in Bengaluru in general, as the state government has granted the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) permission to host IPL and international matches at the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium. Though the green signal has been received it is dependent on KSCA fulfilling certain terms and conditions to ensure the safety of everyone concerned.

The KSCA issued a press note on Saturday, January 17, providing an overview of the latest development. The state board affirmed its ability to meet the prescribed conditions and implement all the measures to ensure safety and security of the fans.

"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," the KSCA stated.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any matches since the stampede which occurred on June 4, 2025 during RCB's victory celebrations. 11 people lost their lives and it forced the local and state authorities to take necessary action against both the franchise and the board.

Both KSCA and RCB are intent on avoiding a similar incident. The franchise recently offered to install 300-350 AI-enabled cameras for crowd management, costing INR 4.5 crore. KSCA, on the other hand, is believed to have issued tender notices for widening of access points to avoid a stampede-like situation again. As per ESPNcricinfo the state board has also sorted out power supply issues with the electricity regulator concerning fire safety norms.

Meanwhile, prior to the latest development RCB were in search of an alternative venue. Rajesh Menon, COO of the franchise, met with the Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai in order to explore the possibility of hosting the team's home matches at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur. A delegation of the franchise also visited the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune with the same intent and even the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is said to be under consideration.

Now, after the Karnataka government's nod the question remains whether RCB will look to host all or some of their home matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and the remaining ones at any of the other venues stated above.