RCB’s IPL 2026 home ground decided as franchise moves away from Chinnaswamy stadium
The venue where RCB will host IPL 2026 has been officially confirmed and it is neither M Chinnaswamy Stadium nor Pune. The announcement has sparked huge excitement among fans and Bengaluru fans can’t wait to see how the new ground will impact Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home advantage and matchday atmosphere.
Uncertainty surrounding champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home matches in the upcoming IPL 2026 will mean matches will not be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium following the tragic stampede during the team’s victory parade last year. Instead, RCB will host their home matches next season at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Shaheen Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur.
“RCB will play five matches in Navi Mumbai and two in Raipur during IPL 2026. RCB officials recently finalized the arrangement after meetings with the officials concerned,” The Times of India quoted a source as saying on Tuesday. he said.
In contrast, Rajasthan Royals will conduct their home matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune. Last year, IPL president Arun Dhumal had hinted at the possibility that RR might lose the right to host home matches due to the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s failure to hold elections.
A special committee ran the RCA while two rival groups vied for legitimacy. “We had informed RCA last year that if you cannot hold these selections, it will be difficult for us to hold the tournament there,” Dhumal said after the IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.
Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has not seen any international matches since the tragic stampede on June 4, which left 11 dead and 50 injured during RCB’s IPL victory parade.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been making significant efforts to reintroduce top-level cricket to the field, having recently held talks with the state government.
In December, the Karnataka state government did not allow the KSCA to host the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, citing safety and security issues that led to the fixtures being moved to the BCCI Center of Excellence.
A report by Judge John Michael D’Cunha following the stampede said the venue was “extremely unsafe” for large gatherings.
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