Ending months of suspense, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have confirmed that they will play their home fixtures at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a venue which saw 11 people lose their lives a day after the franchise won its maiden IPL title last year. However, the defending champions will play only five matches at the venue and will play their remaining two matches at Raipur.
With the season around the corner, there were concerns whether will commit to playing its home matches in . Although the Karnataka state government had given its permission pending security clearance, the onus was on the franchise to stick to the venue which has been its home since its inception in 2008. Being the defending champions RCB will get to host the IPL opening fixture and with the franchise confirming the venue as its home, there is a strong chance that the new season will commence at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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In a statement the franchise said: “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. 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.”
Since the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue hasn’t hosted any mainstream cricket. Even with regards to domestic fixtures, the venue has remained out of bounds for the home team Karnataka and after the new regime led by Venkatesh Prasad took over as the president, the Karnataka State Cricket Association has been co-ordinating with the state government to bring IPL back to the iconic stadium. Since it didn’t meet the security standards, the venue wasn’t able to host the ICC Women’s World Cup as well as the ongoing men’s T20 World Cup.
Rajesh Menon, CEO, , said, “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.”
The franchise, which also operates a team in the Women’s Premier League, will have new owners after the current ones decided to end their long-standing association with the team.
