New Delhi, March 12 – Despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) including M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the first phase schedule of the 2026 IPL, released on Wednesday, uncertainty still surrounds the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s home ground.
The stadium's future depends on March 13, when a government-appointed expert committee is scheduled to inspect the M Chinnaswamy Stadium before giving its final verdict on hosting IPL 2026 matches in the city, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any RCB games since the horrific stampede that occurred near the stadium. Eleven people and more than 50 were injured due to mismanagement during the franchise's celebration of its maiden IPL title last year.
Months after the venue was barred from hosting events following the stampede, the Karnataka government granted conditional permission to resume cricket matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
According to the report, new entry gates have been installed, and exit and entry points are also created in case of an emergency.
The Justice D' Cunha Committee had set March 15 as the deadline for the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to complete important "short-term" upgrades to the stadium. Following the appointment of the committee, it conducted a detailed safety audit at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the report added.
Last week, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that all safety recommendations will be implemented at Chinnaswamy Stadium before hosting matches, and additional police will be deployed to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
RCB, the defending champions, will start their IPL 2026 campaign with a home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28. They will then face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next home match.
