The Karnataka Cabinet has granted conditional authorisation for Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host IPL 2026 matches, which is a significant move for Karnataka cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans. The decision comes after months of uncertainty following the devastating stampede incident on June 4 during RCB’s victory celebrations, which claimed 11 lives and injured countless more. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) matches can only restart once the stadium has undergone all necessary safety modifications.
The iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium was previously ruled fundamentally hazardous by the Justice D’Cunha (Cunha) Commission, which resulted in the stampede and exposed serious flaws in design, crowd mobility, emergency preparation, and traffic control. Following the incident, the stadium was stripped of Women’s World Cup fixtures and was barred from hosting the men’s T20 World Cup in India in 2026. Following this, there were concerns that Bengaluru would lose IPL games as well.
The Karnataka Cabinet permitted the stadium’s return to cricket,
But only after the Home Department confirmed that all safety and structural recommendations in the Cunha Commission report had been properly followed. This includes expanding the number of entry and exit gates, as well as establishing designated queue and crowd-circulation areas distinct from public highways. It also announced that it will construct internationally compliant emergency evacuation systems, improve traffic management, and parking infrastructure. The Cabinet emphasised that matches will only restart after these conditions are fully met.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that IPL matches will not be moved away from Bengaluru and that hosting matches is a source of pride for Karnataka. He went on to say that the government is committed to crowd safety while also guaranteeing that the city does not lose key sporting events. Shivakumar also affirmed that the state intends to develop a new, modern cricket stadium in the future, but Chinnaswamy will remain the primary site for the time being.
This is a victory for the sport of cricket: Venkatesh Prasad
Meanwhile, newly elected KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad and his team met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to press for resuming top-level cricket. Prasad confirmed that the KSCA had held discussions with senior BCCI officials as well to ensure Karnataka does not lose big fixtures.
“First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket. Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” Prasad said as quoted by.
Since the June tragedy, Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted a major match. Women’s World Cup games, including the final, were shifted to Navi Mumbai. Domestic matches such as the Duleep Trophy and India A fixtures were moved to alternate BCCI venues.
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