Big relief for RCB as Chinnaswamy stadium gets go-ahead from government to host IPL matches

New Delhi: In what comes as a massive relief for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Karnataka government has given a go-ahead to the stadium to host next year's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches.

As discussed between the government officials and the KSCA members led by president Venkatesh Prasad, the issue was extensively discussed in the cabinet meet on Thursday while the decision was rolled out on Friday.

The government officials headed by the DyCM DK Shivakumar had earlier promised to the Prasad-led committee that they are bent upon releasing the suspension put on the stadium as they too want to eagerly see the resumption of cricket at the iconic stadium.

The stadium faced a suspension to host any match since the tragedy that took place in earlier in the year in June during RCB's maiden IPL title celebration, which was even attended by the top brass in the Karnataka government.

The Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, which probed the Bengaluru stampede, had declared the M Chinnaswamy stadium unfit to host big events. The report further said that the stadium's design and structure are unsuitable for mass gatherings.

During the celebration which turned tragic unfortunately, as many as 11 people lost their lives and several others were injured as the stadium failed to accommodate scores of fans that had thronged to catch a glimpse of their star cricketers. However, the government mandated that the safety and security norms must be religiously followed within the premises.

'They (KSCA) have sought permission to hold matches in Bengaluru, and we have assured them the matter will be decided at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. We have no intention of stopping cricket matches, but crowd management needs regulation,' DK Shivakumar had said.

In the finale of the 2025 edition, RCB beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs to grab the IPL title in an emphatic manner.