The Karnataka state government has cleared the way for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to play their home matches in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the city’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. It remains to be seen whether the franchise does choose to return to the ground, with RCB seeking out alternative venues. The Chinnaswamy Stadium was declared unsafe in the wake of a stampede that occured during RCB’s victory parade which claimed 11 lives. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the cabinet has decided to permit the conduct of matches at the venue while implementing the recommendations of a one-man judicial commission that was formed in the days following the stampede. “Good News for Cricket Lovers of Bengaluru & Karnataka. In the interest of the sport and its fans, the Cabinet today has taken an important decision to permit the conduct of IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium, while keeping public safety paramount. The recommendations of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Report will be implemented, with strict adherence to norms on ticketing, crowd regulation, and stadium access. With responsibility and accountability, we move forward,” Shivakumar posted on X. Good News for Cricket Lovers of Bengaluru & Karnataka In the interest of the sport and its fans, the Cabinet today has taken an important decision to permit the conduct of IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium, while keeping public safety paramount. The recommendations of the… — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) February 12, 2026 The stadium was initially slated to host matches in the ICC Women’s World Cup but they were moved out after it was declared unsafe. On Monday, a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) delegation, led by president Venkatesh Prasad, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru met state Home Minister G Parameshwara and submitted a representation requesting permission to host matches. The KSCA is the custodian of the stadium. Parameshwara said later on the day that officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), Bengaluru city police, and the Law Department will meet to discuss what can be done at the government level and directions will be issued to the KSCA accordingly. This isn’t the first time since the stampede that the Karnataka Cabinet has granted approval to the KSCA to host matches at the stadium. Conditional approval had been given on December 12 but a committee formed in the last week of the same month reviewed safety arrangements at the stadium and rejected the permission. Amid all this, Bengaluru has missed out on hosting matches in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and before that, the ICC Women’s World Cup last year, the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and several domestic tournaments.
RCB given Karnataka state government nod to play IPL 2026 matches at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium
