The Karnataka Cabinet has given conditional approval for Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host IPL 2026 matches, which is a significant development for supporters of Karnataka cricket and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Following the devastating stampede incident on June 4 during RCB’s victory celebrations, which claimed 11 lives and injured numerous others, there was months of ambiguity before the decision was made.
Matches for the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) won’t start again until the stadium has undergone all required safety improvements.
The Justice D’Cunha (Cunha) Commission had already deemed the famous Chinnaswamy Stadium to be seriously dangerous, which caused the stampede and revealed serious flaws in traffic control, emergency preparation, crowd management, and design. The stadium lost Women’s World Cup matches after the tragedy, and it was not included in India’s host venues for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. After this, there were worries that Bengaluru would also lose IPL matches.
The stadium’s return to cricket was permitted by the Karnataka Cabinet, but only after the Home Department confirmed that the Cunha Commission report’s structural and safety recommendations had been properly implemented. This involved establishing specific areas for crowd movement and queuing that were off-limits to the general public, as well as expanding the number of entry and departure gates. It also mentioned enhancing traffic control, parking infrastructure, and emergency evacuation systems that are comply with international standards. The Cabinet emphasised that games won’t start up again until these requirements have been fully met.
IPL matches will not be moved outside of Bengaluru, according to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also described hosting matches as a matter of Karnataka pride. He continued by saying that the government is dedicated to maintaining crowd safety while also making sure that the city does not miss any important athletic events. Shivakumar added that while Chinnaswamy will continue to be the premier cricket stadium for the foreseeable future, the state intends to eventually construct a new, contemporary facility.
This is a triumph for the game of cricket: Venkatesh Prasad
In the meantime, freshly elected KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad and his group met with Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to advocate for the return of elite cricket. Prasad affirmed that in order to prevent Karnataka from losing important matches, the KSCA had also spoken with senior BCCI officials.
“Above all, this is a triumph for the game of cricket. Second, according to ESPNcricinfo, Prasad stated, “This is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to return to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.”
Chinnaswamy Stadium has not played host to a major game since the June tragedy. The final of the Women’s World Cup was moved to Navi Mumbai. The Duleep Trophy and India A matches, among other domestic matches, were rescheduled to other BCCI locations.
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