Chinnaswamy Stadium’s IPL 2026 Fate to Be Decided Soon

A final decision regarding whether Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will host their home matches at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is expected next week.

Speculation about RCB potentially relocating their matches from Bengaluru increased after the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) issued a press release earlier this month, expressing gratitude towards RCB for inspecting the MCA Stadium in Pune.

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has faced scrutiny following a tragic stampede that resulted in the deaths of 11 people during RCB’s championship celebrations on June 4, 2025. Hosting future matches there depends on the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) implementing the recommendations of the Justice Michael D’Cunha report, which was created as part of the investigation into the incident.

Recently, the State government denied permission for the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches to be held at the stadium due to non-compliance issues, leading to Virat Kohli playing two games for Delhi behind closed doors at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the city’s outskirts.

Additionally, Karnataka’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh, scheduled for January 22, will be played at the Alur Grounds.

Vinay Mruthyunjaya, the official spokesperson for KSCA, told Sportstar on Tuesday that discussions with RCB were ongoing, but no official confirmation about the franchise’s matches moving away from Bengaluru had been made.

“We will be able to provide an official statement next week,” he stated. “Regarding the Ranji Trophy match, Chinnaswamy Stadium was never considered due to the extensive preparatory work currently underway.”

Published on Jan 13, 2026