Ahead of the IPL 2026, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to play their home games away from the famous M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue has been closed indefinitely following the devastating stampede during RCB’s victory parade on June 4, 2025, which killed 11 people and injured scores.
The RCB’s historic IPL 2025 title win, which ended a 17-year wait, was marred by an awful stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during their victory celebration.
Thousands of fans had assembled to celebrate the success, but inadequate crowd management caused mayhem near the gates, ending in a fatal crush. Following the tragedy, the Karnataka government halted all large events at the venue pending an inquiry. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) received severe condemnation for safety violations, prompting the departure of key officials.
As a result, the stadium was no longer scheduled to host the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy or the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025. With continued constraints and safety permissions still to be obtained, it becomes increasingly doubtful that the stadium would host any IPL matches in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Gahunje, Pune, has emerged as the front-runner to host RCB’s home matches for the 2018 season. According to a Times of India story, the RCB is in advanced talks with the MCA to temporarily relocate its headquarters.
“This arrangement (Pune hosting RCB’s matches) is in discussion but it’s not confirmed yet. They have a problem in Karnataka, because of the stampede that happened. So, they are looking out for a venue and we have offered them our stadium. There are preliminary discussions and there are a couple of technical things which need to be sorted out. If things fall in place then, probably yes, Pune will host the matches,” MCA secretary Kamlesh Pai revealed to the publication.
MCA Stadium in Pune has previously hosted several IPL matches
The MCA Stadium in Pune has previously hosted several IPL matches, including games for teams like Rising Pune Supergiant and Punjab Kings, and it provides a strong alternative for hosting RCB’s fixtures. If finalized, this will be the first time in IPL history that RCB will play an entire season without hosting a single match in Bengaluru. The team has played every home game at the Chinnaswamy since 2008, except during the 2009 season in South Africa and the COVID-affected 2020-22 editions.
The iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium has been a home for the franchise, a venue witnessing high-scoring thrillers and the support of the Bengaluru crowd. Despite the setback, the franchise will look to carry forward its winning momentum from IPL 2025. The team will now have to adapt quickly to new conditions in Pune, a venue where they have won six of their nine previous matches.
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