itstargetnews
The government has lifted the ban on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the 2026 IPL season. After discussions with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), the cabinet approved the request to reopen the stadiums for high-intensity matches.
The Karnataka government has imposed a ban on the iconic stadium following the tragic incident outside the stadium during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) maiden title-winning celebrations. On June 4, 2025, it was reported that 11 people died during the celebrations and more than 50 people were injured during the carnival.
Karnataka government gives green signal
Due to this tragic incident, the team and the government must take some drastic measures to avoid similar situations from happening in the future. The team’s home ground for the upcoming Indian Premier League season is in jeopardy as the government bans stadiums from hosting matches.
Your daily dose of cricket!
In this time of crisis, the State Cricket Board has taken up the responsibility to resolve the matter at the earliest. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is one of the crown jewels of Karnataka. Without the services of the venue, cricket fans in the state would have missed out on multiple opportunities to express their support and emotion for the game and RCB. Due to the incident, the Women’s World Cup final was moved from Bangalore to Navi Mumbai.
Only a limited number of spectators are allowed in
The cabinet approved the state cricket board’s request to open the stadiums with some guidelines. One of the conditions is that only a limited number of spectators will be allowed into the stadium so that management can maintain safety protocols without making any mistakes. Other conditions have not been disclosed.
Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy told the media: “The cabinet agreed to certain conditions in the Cunha report. He mentioned certain conditions in the report, which was a maximum of 35,000 people, and some other conditions. Therefore, we took this decision.”
Newly elected KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad is one of the most active in continuing discussions with the government. Not long ago, Prasad clearly mentioned that his vision is to bring IPL and international matches back to Bengaluru. To realize this dream, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will be an ideal venue to host any high-profile match.
“After the cabinet meeting, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara will give clarification tonight regarding the opening of the IPL in Bengaluru,” Venkatesh said earlier.
RCB takes final decision
Amid uncertainty over the stadium, there are widespread reports that RCB is looking for alternative venues to host IPL 2026 home matches. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur are rumored to be on RCB’s shortlist. Although Mumbai Indians, who play their home stadium at the Wankhede Stadium, have reportedly refused RCB to opt for either of the two stadiums as the sites are not too far away from the Wankhede Stadium.
After the latest announcement from the government, RCB will have to take a final decision on their home ground for the 2026 IPL season, where they will play as defending champions.
