Karnataka State Cricket Association chief Venkatesh Prasad talked about hosting IPL 2026 matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Prasad said that the state authorities have given permission to hold the match at the venue, provided specific conditions set by the Karnataka state government are met.
Last year, 11 people lost their lives and several others were injured outside the stadium during RCB’s victory celebrations. Following a stampede during the victory parade on 4 June, no matches were scheduled at the venue. Any permission to host games in future will depend on the approval of the state government.
We had promised to bring back IPL Bengaluru – Venkatesh Prasad
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru on January 21, Venkatesh Prasad said that the KSCA has taken a big step towards bringing IPL matches back to the city. He said the first major hurdle has been cleared after authorities gave conditional approval to host the Games at the stadium.
“We promised to bring the IPL back to this great city and iconic stadium and the first hurdle has been cleared,” Prasad said.
“If all the agencies were not confident that KSCA could achieve whatever it wanted in the given timeline, they would not have given us this conditional approval… It was no day or night for us in the last 30-45 days,” he said.
Still a lot of work remains to be done – Venkatesh Prasad
Prasad also said that there is still a lot of work to be done before cricket returns to Bengaluru. He said KSCA is in talks with several agencies and contractors. He indicated that some people are trying to create obstacles with the intention of delaying the return of matches to the stadium.
Prasad further said, “There is still a lot of work to be done. We are talking to various agencies, contractors, etc., to ensure that we provide the highest standards of security, administration and spectator welfare as well.”
“What we are doing is that there are some people who are trying to create obstacles with the clear intention of delaying the return of cricket to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.”
The ball is in RCB’s court – Venkatesh Prasad
Venkatesh Prasad also said that he expects RCB to play all its home matches, including the opening match, in Bengaluru. He said KSCA is confident of completing all the requirements by the end of February. He also said that RCB has not yet informed the government about its plans.
“I sincerely hope and pray that Royal Challengers Bangalore play all their home matches here, including the opening match. We are confident that we will complete the task of receiving the unconditional letter from the Karnataka government by the end of February,” Venkatesh said.
He said, “The ball is in RCB’s court. I also hope that RCB will also get involved and talk to the government for the smooth conduct of the matches. So far it has been one-sided.”
“Having said all this, I sincerely hope and pray that Royal Challengers Bangalore play all their home matches here, including the opening match.
We are confident that we will complete the work by the end of February to receive the unconditional letter from the Karnataka government.”-Saurabh Somani (@Saurabh_42) 21 January 2026
Also read: IPL 2026 venues revealed; ‘Too scared’ of playing in RCB Chinnaswamy, sought NOC from Mumbai Indians
