The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Monday received the final approval from the state government to hold IPL matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the upcoming season.
This ended months of uncertainty, following the stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium on 4 June that killed 11 people and injured more than 50 people.
KSCA officials, the Home Minister and an Expert Committee held a meeting in Bengaluru on Monday, and the announcement was made official shortly after that. The Expert Committee had inspected the safety measures and the infrastructural development on 13 March.
KSCA statement on approval of M Chinnaswamy Stadium for IPL 2026
“We are pleased to inform that a meeting was held earlier today at Vidhana Soudha under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble 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 said in a press release on Monday.
“Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee and after reviewing the arrangements in detail, the Hon’ble Home Minister has formally agreed approval for the conduct of the upcoming IPL matches at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru,” the release added.
It was on 3 June that Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final in Ahmedabad to clinch their maiden title. A victory parade was slated to be held in Bengaluru on 4 June, but that was canceled due to the stampede.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any major matches or tournaments since that stampede. The venue was stripped of its matches in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, and also was omitted from the list of venues that hosted the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
However, after being elected as KSCA president in December 2025, Venkatesh Prasad had promised to bring back international cricket and IPL to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue last hosted an international match in January 2024, when India took on Afghanistan in a T20I.
The defending champions will get their IPL 2026 campaign underway with a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru on 28 March. They will then host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on 5 April. That will be followed by trips to Guwahati and Mumbai, wherein they will face Rajasthan Royals (10 April) and Mumbai Indians (12 April), respectively.
In IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be playing five of their seven matches in Bengaluru, whereas their other two home games will be played in Raipur.
