Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has received approval to host IPL 2026. On Monday, an expert committee appointed by the government approved the stadium for use.
This simply means that a playoff match and the final will also be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – where the first match of the season between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad is scheduled to be held on March 28. It has been a tradition that the defending champion team hosts the title match. Karnataka Home Minister G. A committee appointed by Parameshwara took a detailed inspection of the stadium complex on Friday. In this day-long audit, several checks were carried out to ensure compliance with the rules related to the structure of the stadium, and the steps taken to control the crowd around the stadium were also reviewed.
On Monday, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials, top RCB officials and G. After a meeting between the members of the expert committee headed by Maheshwar Rao, the final approval was given. Five of RCB’s home matches will be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, while the other two matches will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur. This has been decided under an agreement already signed between the franchise and the Government of Chhattisgarh.
RCB has promised to release tickets with digital QR codes in collaboration with KSCA. This is one of several steps taken to deal with the problem of overcrowding around the stadium. They have also partnered with Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation to ensure hassle-free travel. Metro services will continue till 1 am on match days, while ticketing formalities are still being worked out. In all likelihood, those with match tickets will be able to travel for free. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation is also planning to increase the frequency of trains on all routes to prevent congestion.
As far as infrastructural measures are concerned, KSCA has increased the number of entry points by constructing six new gates around Chinnaswamy, as well as widening the existing entry gates. Ramps and tarpaulin sheets have also been installed at the old NCA complex to serve as a holding area for fans as they make their way to their respective stands. Bengaluru Police and KSCA are working to ensure that Cubbon Road – which runs parallel to the main entrance of the venue – remains open for vehicular movement at specific times on match days.
The IPL has just released the schedule for the first two weeks of the tournament to be held in 2026. In the first phase, KSCA (apart from the opener match) will host one more match on April 5, in which RCB and Chennai Super Kings will face each other. The last time a competitive match took place at Chinnaswamy was during IPL 2025. Since then, the venue has been embroiled in controversy following the death of 11 fans during RCB’s victory celebrations on June 3. All the structural changes made by KSCA to comply with the short-term measures suggested by the Expert Committee have been completed within two months.
The changes were made following elections held in December, in which former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad took charge after winning a tightly contested election. Now the stadium will be officially handed over to the IPL franchise and their event management partner, DNA Entertainment. RCB has not yet officially announced the ticket sales. It is expected that this process will start later this week.
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