Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Cleared to Host IPL 2026 Matches After Safety Audit

Bengaluru. After a long period of uncertainty, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has received government permission to host matches for the IPL 2026 season. The path for IPL matches has been cleared after an expert committee formed by the Karnataka government inspected the stadium on Monday and submitted a report stating that the security and structural conditions were satisfactory.

With this permission, the opening match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 will take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following the tradition where the reigning champion hosts the final, one playoff match and the final of this season will also be played at this venue.

Following a tragic incident during RCB's victory celebrations last year, security at the stadium had come under scrutiny, which the new leadership has addressed with extensive improvement works. To manage crowd control, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has added six new entry gates to the stadium and widened the existing ones.

Furthermore, a digital QR code ticketing system will be implemented for the convenience of supporters. An agreement has also been made with the Bengaluru Metro, considering the expected spectator rush. Metro services will operate until 1 AM on match days, and there is a possibility that ticket holders will be able to travel for free.

RCB will play five of its home games at the Chinnaswamy this season, with the remaining two matches scheduled to be held in Raipur. The newly elected KSCA President and former fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad secured this permission by completing the stadium's renovation and meeting safety standards within two months of taking office.

For now, only the schedule for the first two weeks of the IPL has been released, which includes the highly anticipated match between RCB and Chennai Super Kings at this venue on April 5. The stadium has now been officially handed over to RCB and the management team.

Ticket sales for the matches are expected to begin towards the end of this week.

ESPN Cricinfo