Chinnaswamy Stadium to host RCB’s five home games in IPL 2026

The decks have been cleared for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to host the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) home games in IPL 2026. As it stands, the venue will likely host the tournament opener, as well as one playoff match and the final.

The franchise confirmed the development on March 3 after extensive discussion between the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and its officials, while also stating that the remaining two home matches will be played at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium to meet “prior commitments”.

The confirmation comes after the prolonged uncertainty following the tragic stampede on June 4 last year during RCB’s victory parade outside the stadium that claimed 11 lives and left several injured. The event raised grave concerns around crowd management and led to the constitution of Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission to investigate the stampede.

Cricket came to a complete halt at the venue after the probe panel stated in its report that the stadium was "unsuitable and unsafe" for large gatherings. Subsequently, the Maharaja Trophy was shifted to Mysore, and then the Women’s World Cup matches were also relocated, as the KSCA failed to obtain police clearance for hosting either of the two events.

Based on the findings of Justice D’Cunha Commission’s report, the Karnataka government had directed KSCA for an infrastructural overhaul of the venue, including widening of gates to ease entry and exit of spectators as well as ambulances and using the old National Cricket Academy (NCA) premises to assemble large crowds before taking them to the respective stands.

The new KSCA chief Venkatesh Prasad and vice-president Sujith Somasunder held several meetings with chief minister Siddharamaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and other officials, expressing their commitment towards implementing the suggestions of Justice John D'Cunha's report on the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

After several months of execution, the Karnataka state government, in January, granted conditional approval to resume cricket at the venue. The venue obtained a formal clearance last month, enabling it to welcome top-flight cricket back after several months of inaction.

"RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru," a release from the franchise stated.

"The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground."

Speaking on the development, RCB CEO Rajesh Menon added:

"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."

"After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible."