The government lifted the ban on M. Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the IPL 2026 season. After discussions with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the Cabinet approved their plea to reopen the stadium for high-octane matches.
The Karnataka government imposed a ban on the iconic stadium after the tragic incident that took place outside the stadium during the celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) winning their first trophy. On June 4, 2025, it was reported that 11 people died during the celebrations and more than 50 were injured in the crowd.
Karnataka government gave green signal
Due to this tragic incident, the franchise as well as the government had to take some major steps to avoid such situations in future. Since the government had banned arranging matches in the stadium, the franchise was in danger of having its home ground for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
Amidst the hour of crisis, the state cricket governing board took upon itself the responsibility of resolving the matter as soon as possible. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is one of the prides of Karnataka. Without the venue’s service, cricket fans from the state could have missed many opportunities to show their support and emotions for the game and RCB. Due to this incident the Women’s World Cup final was shifted from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai.
Only a limited number of spectators will be allowed
The Cabinet approved the request of the State Cricket Board to open the stadium under certain guidelines. One of the conditions is that only a limited number of spectators are allowed in the stadium so that the management can maintain safety protocols without making any mistakes. Other terms are yet to be disclosed.
Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy told the media, “The cabinet agreed to certain conditions as per the Cunha report. He had mentioned certain conditions in the report, a maximum of 35,000 people and some other conditions. Accordingly, we have taken the decision.”
Newly elected KSCA chief Venkatesh Prasad was among the most active in continuing discussions with the government. In recent times, Prasad clearly mentioned that his vision is to bring IPL and international matches back to Bengaluru. To live up to the dream, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium would be the ideal venue to host any high-profile match.
Venkatesh had earlier said, “After the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara will give clarification on holding the IPL opening ceremony in Bengaluru this evening.”
RCB has to take the final decision
Due to uncertainty over the stadium, it was widely reported that RCB was looking for other venues to host its IPL 2026 home matches. The DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur were rumored to be in RCB’s shortlist. However, Mumbai Indians, whose home ground is the Wankhede Stadium, have reportedly refused to let RCB choose between these two grounds, as these venues are not very far from the Wankhede Stadium.
After the latest announcement from the government, RCB will have to take a final decision on their home venue for the IPL 2026 season, where they will play as the defending champions.
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