Top News

The Karnataka government has given the green light to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, as reported by Cricbuzz. 

Following the tragic stampede in Bengaluru on June 4, which resulted in 11 fatalities and around 50 injuries, the stadium was declared unsuitable for large gatherings. The government had directed the KSCA to address various structural and safety concerns before they could receive approval to hold any cricket matches in the future. 

As a result of this ruling, KSCA missed out on hosting significant events like the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, the Maharaja Trophy 2025, the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, and T20 World Cup 2026 matches in Bengaluru. 

This situation left the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) without a home ground. Just yesterday, the IPL 2025 champions committed INR 4.50 crore to install 300 to 350 AI-enabled cameras at the venue to comply with the safety standards set by the Karnataka government. 

Also Read | UPW-W vs MI-W: Meg Lanning Script History With 11th Half-Century in WPL

In the meantime, RCB was exploring options to host their IPL 2026 home matches at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur. Fortunately for RCB, the Karnataka government has now approved KSCA to host matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

“The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the Government and the concerned authorities. KSCA is confident of fulfilling all the stipulated conditions. The Association has already presented a detailed compliance roadmap before the Expert Review Committee and remains fully committed to implementing all safety, security, and crowd-management measures in letter and spirit,” KSCA said in an announcement through a press note.

In summary, this clearance from the Karnataka government has brought significant relief to both KSCA and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After months of uncertainty following the June 4 stampede, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is ready to welcome cricket back.

This decision alleviates concerns about RCB having to play their IPL 2026 home matches away from Bengaluru and reinstates the city’s spot on the cricket calendar. With safety issues being addressed and additional measures in place, the stadium is all set to host matches again. For RCB fans, this approval means a much-anticipated homecoming in IPL 2026, bringing them back to familiar grounds after a challenging time for everyone involved.