RCB’s home matches to move out of M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2026? Here’s what we know so far
Earlier this year, there was a stampede at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. Since then, not a single match has been played on the field.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium is the home of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s iconic home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, is facing one setback after another. Ahead of the next event of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Karnataka state government has ordered a comprehensive structural suitability test before the venue hosts any games. According to a report by India Today, the Public Works Department (PWD) has issued an official notice to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), asking it to submit a detailed structural safety report of the venue.
PWD also requested that the compliance report be prepared by experts certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). The venue stands on 17 acres of land rented by the disabled in the heart of Bengaluru, and the stadium now needs to demonstrate that its galleries and structure can handle large crowds.
This all started after the horrific incident that took place during RCB’s victory celebration earlier this year when a stampede claimed the lives of 11 people and left many injured.
Nearly a month after the incident, an independent committee led by Justice John Michael D’Cunha said the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was unsuitable for large-scale events. As a result, not a single match has been given to the stadium for the ICC T20I World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in February and March next year.
Notably, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been RCB’s home since the inception of the IPL in 2008. The stadium was built in May 1969 and currently has the capacity to host a crowd of 40,000, making it one of the largest cricket stadiums in the world.
