In a major development, the Government of Karnataka has granted final clearance to the Karnataka State Cricket Association and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to host matches of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Earlier, an expert committee constituted by the state government inspected the stadium to assess its readiness for the upcoming IPL season. The committee conducted a detailed review and also carried out a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements to evaluate security measures, crowd management, and overall preparedness. After the inspection and review, the committee approved the arrangements, paving the way for the final approval ahead of the 19th edition of the IPL.
Meanwhile, the KSCA has been undertaking several renovation works at the stadium to enhance safety and infrastructure. The association has been installing new entry gates and widening the existing ones to improve crowd movement. In addition, new walkways and dedicated entry and exit routes for emergencies are being developed to ensure better safety standards for spectators.
Notably, the renovation work was scheduled to be completed by March 15, in accordance with recommendations made by the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Committee. These recommendations were introduced following the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru that occurred during celebrations after RCB’s maiden IPL title victory.
The much-awaited schedule for the IPL 2026 has already been announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The tournament is set to begin on March 28, marking the 19th edition of the competition. RCB will enter the tournament as defending champions for the first time, after finally ending their long wait for the trophy in the IPL 2025.
With a strong squad and growing confidence following their historic triumph, it will be interesting to see how the Rajat Patidar-led side performs as they aim to defend their title in the upcoming season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Final Squad
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan
