IPL 2026: Chinnaswamy Stadium set to host RCB home games

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) finally received official confirmation from the government of Karnataka to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. It means the venue will host all 5 matches of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including the tournament opener, RCB vs SRH on March 28 and RCB vs CSK on April 05. 

KSCA secretary Santosh Menon confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been successfully inspected and the stadium has been cleared to host the IPL 2026 matches.

"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 stated 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," added the release.

This clearance was received after talks between RCB, KSCA, and state authorities, which were done to handle the increased capacity of the stadium. Last year, during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebrations, 11 people lost their lives due to a stampede that occurred outside the stadium. Following this, questions were raised on the hosting rights of the stadium. KSCA stated in a release,

"The entire KSCA team, under the leadership of Venkatesh Prasad, has worked closely with the Home Minister, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, the 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. 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."

With the approval, Chinnaswamy is set to host the defending champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, for their five home games of IPL 2026. RCB will also play their two games at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. So far, the BCCI has announced the first 20 matches schedule of IPL 2026 due to the assembly election of the states of West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Assam.