Karnataka cabinet grants permission to KSCA to host RCB's IPL 2026 matches at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday gave permission to the KSCA to host RCB's IPL matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday gave permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The decks have been cleared for the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), to play their home fixtures at the uber-popular Bengaluru venue; however, the final call will be with the franchise.

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday gave the permission to the KSCA to host RCB's IPL matches (PTI)

“The cabinet agreed with certain conditions as per the Cunha report. He mentioned certain conditions in the report, including a maximum of 35,000 people, and others. Accordingly, we have taken the decision,” Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters on Thursday.

When the decision was made public, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the latest development comes as very good news for cricket lovers. However, he also urged the organisers to not sell more tickets than available.

“In the interest of youth and the cricket world, the Karnataka government has granted permission to hold matches in Bengaluru. They should not sell more seats than are available. And they will have to implement safety measures. We have given permission with some conditions. This is very good news for all cricket lovers. I congratulate them all,” DK Shivakumar told reporters.

Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had stated that the fate of hosting cricket matches at the Bengaluru venue will be decided during a cabinet meeting.

Last year, during the RCB's victory celebrations, 11 people lost their lives in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. More than 30 people were also injured in the incident, and this led to a huge outcry all around the country. No matches have been played at the venue since then, and even Women's World Cup 2025 matches were shifted to Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

To probe the incident and prevent such occurrences in the future, the Karnataka government had formed a committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice John Michael Cunha. The panel then submitted a series of short- and long-term recommendations to strengthen crowd management and safety measures at the venue.

For months now, both KSCA and RCB have been pushing for the resumption of games at the Chinnaswamy. However, the government earlier maintained that the matches cannot be played unless the recommendations of the Justice Cunha Committee are implemented.

Thursday meeting

Earlier on Thursday, the KSCA office bearers and RCB representatives had met the minister. "We told them that if they want matches to take place, they must comply with the recommendations of the Justice John Michael Cunha Committee," Parameshwara said, according to news agency PTI.

The minister also confirmed that the KSCA and RCB have already implemented some of the short-term measures suggested by the panel.

Parameshwara also added that the state government had formed a committee comprising officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner's Office, and representatives of various departments to check the implementation of the Cunha Committee's recommendations.

"We have received the report and examined its pros and cons. As the home minister, I was entrusted by the Cabinet with holding discussions with the stakeholders and briefing the ministers. I will place the matter before the Cabinet today, and a decision will be announced thereafter," he said.

The IPL 2026 will begin in March, and RCB will look to defend its title. Earlier, according to a report in the Times of India, the franchise did not get the clearance from the Mumbai Indians to play their home matches at the Dr DY Patil Stadium. The report claimed that the five-time champions asked RCB to explore other options before coming back to the Navi Mumbai venue.

Last year, RCB won its maiden IPL title after beating the Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.