The champions of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB), on January 16, announced that it had proposed to install 300 to 350 AI-enabled cameras at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in a formal communication to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) ahead of the 2026 season of the tournament. 

They released a statement on the social media platforms where the RCBfranchise committed to bear the entire one-time cost of the initiative, which is estimated at approximately INR 4.5 crore, as it will help in the crowd management at the ground in the international and IPL games.

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“The advanced surveillance technology will empower the KSCA and law enforcement agencies to efficiently manage crowd movement, ensure disciplined queueing, monitor unauthorized access through real-time tracking of entries and exits, and significantly enhance overall fan safety.” The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) expressed in a statement that they released on the social media platforms. 

RCB takes major step in crowd management at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

This is a part of the franchisees' Care initiative that they started after the tragic stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during their trophy celebration on June 4 after winning the title against the Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That claimed the lives of eleven fans and injured 15 others.

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The team had won the title for the first time in 18 years, and a victory parade was organized to celebrate the success, but no security measures were observed, resulting in many lives being taken. No professional match has been played at the ground ever since, and the prospect of RCB playing outside Bengaluru looms large. Even the 2025/26 season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) took place at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.

In terms of international games, the ground will not host a single game of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will begin on February 07 in India and Sri Lanka.

The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru won’t be hosting any games of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, as per the new reports. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been denied permission to host the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 games at the ground by the state government and police due to safety and security concerns. 

The same move is expected to take place in the IPL as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)won’t be playing any of the games at home. The defending champions communicated with the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune for their home games, but the latter is likely to host the games for the Rajasthan Royals. 

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The Times of India (TOI) has reported that the Dr DY Patil Cricket Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Simgh International Stadium in Raipur. The former has hosted several renowned games of the WPL, Women’s World Cup, and the Indian women’s side.

RCB likely to play IPL 2026 home games in Navi Mumbai and Raipur

Meanwhile, the ground in Raipur, which hosted the previous IPL games of the 2015 season for the Delhi Capitals, will shortly host the second T20I clash of the five-match series against New Zealand. The crowd will be excited for the potential RCB games if they play their games in the presence of some star India and overseas players- including Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Rajat Patidar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and others.

Since Venkatesh Prasad took over as the KSCA president earlier this month, there have been several activities around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and multiple meetings have been held with the government officials about the chance of the top-flight cricket, including the IPL, being played at the venue. They remain hopeful that the situation will change.

The KSCA had earlier moved the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches involving Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant from Alur to Chinnaswamy Stadium due to the security and logistical challenges. They are hopeful that it will be able to open the two stands, which could have seated 2000-3000 spectators.

The fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will not get the opportunity to watch Virat Kohli for the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 opener on December 24, with the Karnataka government set to issue an order to the KSCA as the high-fever clash will be played behind closed doors. The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence has kept the backup venue in case the police don’t give permission.

The KSCA hinted at the possibility of the two stands open to the general public, which could have been for 2000-3000 spectators if full. But the proposal has gone against the government, which cited ‘potential security and compliance issues’ as work on areas identified to be addressed.

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The reports have confirmed that the state government wants to prevent chaos around the venue during the holiday season, given the stature of the players. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are available for the first two matches, and that earlier forced the KSCA to change the venue from Alur to Chinnaswamy to prevent the logistical issues.

No fans allowed in Bengaluru for Virat Kohli's return in VHT 2025/26

Kohli and Pant arrived in the city late on Monday night and are expected to train with the Delhi squad ahead of the opening clash against Andhra. This will be Kohli’s first outing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium since a tragic stampede on June 04. That was marked by the victory celebrations of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which led to 11 deaths and several injuries.

Since Venkatesh Prasad took over as the president of KSCA, there has been activity around the venue and its various changes. Several meetings were held with the government over the possibility of the top-flight cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), which may return to the venue. However, there are still fresh issues with Justice John Michael D’Cunha, who labelled the venue as ‘highly unsafe.’

Even the chief minister, DK Shivakumar, has been vocal about the game’s return to the stadium venue to restore the pride of the city. The KSCA facility in Alur has three grounds and will host some of the other matches in the city.

Bengaluru could be back at the centre of the Indian Premier League spotlight, with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) formally requesting the BCCI to stage the opening match of the upcoming IPL season in the city. KSCA President and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad has confirmed that serious discussions are already underway and that both the BCCI and the Karnataka government have shown positive intent.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Prasad said Bengaluru’s case is strengthened by tradition, as the IPL opener is usually hosted at the home ground of the defending champions. Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the IPL trophy last season, making the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium the natural choice for the curtain-raiser.

However, uncertainty had clouded the venue after a tragic stampede during RCB’s victory celebrations in June, which claimed 11 lives. Following the incident, cricket matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium were suspended due to safety concerns, and the venue even lost the chance to host a Women’s World Cup match.

Government green signal boosts Bengaluru’s hopes of hosting IPL opener

That situation now appears to be changing. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar recently announced that cricket matches will be allowed at the stadium with strict safety measures in place. Prasad said both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have given a “green signal” for hosting matches, while discussions have also taken place with Home Minister G. Parameshwara regarding security arrangements.

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Prasad added that the KSCA is awaiting written permission from the state government, although oral assurances have already been given. He noted that the BCCI sees the government’s approval as a key requirement and has responded positively to the proposal.

Beyond the IPL opener, Prasad reaffirmed that Bengaluru will continue to host IPL, international and domestic matches across formats. He also confirmed that Virat Kohli is expected to visit the city for Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, with venues yet to be finalised.

If approvals fall into place, Bengaluru could soon reclaim its place as the ceremonial starting point of the IPL, offering fans a much-awaited return to high-profile cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The former Indian all-format captain, Virat Kohli, has returned to India to prepare for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 30 at the JSCA International Cricket Complex in Ranchi before the action moves to Raipur for the second encounter.

Ahead of that clash, Virat Kohli was present at an Asian Paints event where he spoke about the support and love he has received over the years at the icnonic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, having played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since the very first season of the tournament in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history.

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“To be very honest, I am really happy to see the support in every place wherever I go and play, and the fans are truly amazing. But I think of the two grounds that have really stood out for me are, of course, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.” Kohli expressed in that event as the crowd went berserk with his words.

Watch: Virat Kohli chooses M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as his favorite place as video goes viral

Kohli, who smashed a fine half-century in the third ODI of the previous away series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) after two ducks in the first couple of games in Perth and Adelaide, has enjoyed his time in Bengaluru in the 50-over format. The right-handed batter collected 203 runs in seven innings at an average of 29.

Virat Kohli talking about his love for
Chinnaswamy Stadium in yesterday's Asian Paints event. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/83gPURhlqX

— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) November 26, 2025

In terms of the IPL, Kohli has a phenomenal record at the very ground, with the former leader recording 3202 runs in 91 innings at an average of 40.04 and a strike rate of 143.59 with the help of 41 half-centuries at the best score of 113. The roar and support he receives at the ground is just unmatchable.

The Delhi batter will again turn up for the RCB side in the 2026 season of the IPL, but there is no guarantee of whether he will feature in the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which could be banned from hosting any IPL game next season.

The Indian fast bowler, Venkatesh Prasad, and another former player, Shanta Rangaswamy, launched their election for the Karnataka State Cricket Association along with their former treasurer, Vinay Mrutyunjaya. Prasad promised to bring back the vital games at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after the stampede case of the IPL post Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory.

Nearly two lakh fans gathered at 5 in the afternoon during the felicitation ceremony, which caused the crowd to rush, leading to 11 people dying and several getting injured. The ground has lost many international games, along with the Maharaj T20 trophy. They are also expected to lose the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 in late autumn.

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“We would like to bring back international cricket. Every international match has been moved out of Bangalore. It's such an iconic venue, Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has been standing for the last 50 years. This is something which has never happened. Even our own Maharaja Cup has also been moved out, which is not a good thing.” Prasad expressed, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Venkatesh Prasad to bring high-profile games at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium if gets KSCA power

Post the backdrops of several safety failures, the future of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is under the clouds. Amidst all the safety measures, Prasad promised to convert the ground into a future-ready smart stadium with a digital ticketing system, fan experience, and better crowd management technology.

“We need to work on that. Because, as I said earlier, this was built in 1974 for the first Test match. I'm sure we cannot take it to 80,000 and so on. So, probably another 15,000 more, maybe up to 50,000, and now it's 34,000-35,000. One of the preconditions whenever the BCCI allots matches is that they give us a deadline to get the state government permission.” The former pacer informed.

Prasad also informed that they would want to build a cricket museum like Lord’s and make the stadium a tourist destination, which would generate revenue while preserving the rich history of the game. The KSCA is set to go to the polls later this year, with the elections likely to take place in October. 

Bengaluru is officially off the venue list for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, with Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium poised to take its place. The tournament, scheduled from September 30 to November 2, will see the Kerala capital host matches that were originally allotted to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Safety concerns after the June stampede force Bengaluru out of the Women’s ODI World Cup

The change comes after the Karnataka government declined to grant permission for hosting games in Bengaluru due to safety concerns following the tragic June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations. The incident, which claimed 11 lives and left over 50 injured, led to a government-appointed inquiry that found the Chinnaswamy Stadium “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings.

The Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission’s report cited flaws in the stadium’s design and structure, warning that high-attendance events posed “unacceptable risks” to public safety, traffic management, and emergency preparedness. The findings have already forced the KSCA to shift the domestic Maharaja T20 Trophy and Maharani T20 matches to Mysuru and Alur, respectively.

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Bengaluru had been slated to host five matches, including the high-profile tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, as well as one semi-final and potentially the final on November 2. England vs South Africa (October 3) and India vs Bangladesh (October 26) were among other key fixtures scheduled in the city, alongside two warm-up games.

Thiruvananthapuram joins host cities as the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup heads to the sub-continent

With the venue change, the ICC is expected to release an updated schedule soon. Sources indicate that Thiruvananthapuram was favoured over Hyderabad due to favourable weather conditions in late September and its proximity to Colombo, another tournament venue.

While the Greenfield Stadium has yet to host women’s international cricket, it boasts experience from staging four men’s T20Is, two ODIs, youth internationals, and serving as a warm-up venue for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup. However, rain washed out the men’s warm-up matches in that tournament.

The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup will be played in a round-robin format among eight teams - Australia (defending champions), Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, with matches spread across Visakhapatnam, Indore, Guwahati, Colombo, and now Thiruvananthapuram.

This edition will also mark the first women’s global cricket event in the sub-continent since the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup and the first Women’s ODI World Cup in India since 2013.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has failed to get clearance from the Bengaluru police, as they have missed that they won’t be able to host the franchise-based T20 competition, the Maharaja T20, which was going to be staged from August 11 to 27 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The games will now move to Mysuru, as all the sides’ owners have been notified of the change.

Most franchises, including the Mysuru Warriors, had been training at various venues across the city over the past week. The failure to get the permission to host their domestic T20 event is a huge blow to the KSCA, which is also stated to host five matches of the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2025 this autumn, including the tournament opener and one semifinal, starting September 30. Now, there are concerns if the ground could host the IPL games in the future. 

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The association has been under scrutiny after 11 people died and over 50 were injured during the celebration of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru winning their maiden season of the league without permission on June 04, as the authorities have put the moral responsibility tag on the board.

Maharaja T20 tournament moves from Bengaluru to Mysuru

The Maharaja T20 is going to feature several high-profile Karnataka stars, including Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna, who will be part of the Warriors after their return home post the five-match drawn Test series in England. The former is expected to be out of the first few games after picking up a finger injury during the second innings of the South London Test.

Earlier, the event was expected to be held behind closed doors in Bengaluru, but now the focus for KSCA is to make a smooth progression of the competition in Mysuru, where they will face various challengers, including the temporary broadcast facilities, seating arrangement, pitches, squares, and floodlights at the Wadeyar Stadium.

Some of the other notable players to feature in the T20 tournament will be Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal, and Devdutt Paddikal, while some of the young players will be R Smaran, Vijaykumar Vyshak, KV Aneesh, and Nikin Jose. Meanwhile, the women’s Maharani T20 competition will be played in Alur from August 04.

The iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, home of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), is expected to lose its hosting rights for the upcoming domestic franchise T20 competition. The Bengaluru police have yet to give clearance to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host the Maharaja T20, which is scheduled to begin in August and run for two weeks. 

The non-clearance of the police authority has come after the ongoing investigation of the stampede around the ground in the premises for the celebration of the RCB lifting their maiden title in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, when they got the better of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. An investigation has given the results of 11 deaths and over 50 injuries.

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The KSCA announced that Maharaj T20 would be played behind closed doors. But now they are looking for some different option, including their facility in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru, as well as the Mysuru ground. Alur’s drainage is excellent, but the issue will be around the infrastructure and the floodlights, which will be a huge issue for the broadcasters.

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to lose hosting of Maharaja T20 League 2025

Alur is going to host the group games of the six-day women’s T20 event- the Maharani T20- from August 04. That will give the organizers a clear view of what will be the next process. KSCA has started discussions around the late venue switch, but the franchises have shown their concern for the financial losses they now face, having already gone through the hotel bookings for the players and staff in Bengaluru.

The police clearance issue puts the state association in a tough spot as the ground is also the venue for the opening fixture of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, alongside the semi-final and final, if Pakistan doesn’t qualify for the contest. It will also host a couple of warm-up games ahead of the event.

India’s domestic season-opening Duleep Trophy will be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. They cancelled the final at the ground to give the preparation chance to the women’s side for the World Cup in the late autumn.

In a stunning development that could reshape their title defense, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to play the IPL 2026 season away from their iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following a tragic stampede that claimed 11 lives and injured over 70 outside the venue on June 4, just a day after RCB’s historic IPL 2025 win, the Karnataka government has declared the stadium unfit for hosting major events, including high-profile cricket matches.

The incident occurred during a victory celebration parade that drew an estimated 300,000 fans, nearly ten times the stadium’s 35,000 capacity. Mismanagement of security and lack of crowd control were cited in a judicial commission’s scathing report, which held RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and event organizers DNA Entertainment Networks responsible for the chaos. Shockingly, all 79 police officers deployed for the event were stationed inside the stadium, with none outside to manage the massive crowd.

The Karnataka cabinet has approved legal action against key individuals from RCB, KSCA, and the event agency. While the state government initially appeared to blame the IPL franchise, it has since acknowledged failures on the part of senior police officials as well, including the suspension of Bengaluru’s police commissioner and other top officers. The official report, led by retired Justice John Michael D’Cunha, found the organizers operated without necessary permissions, failed to regulate entries, and ignored critical safety measures.

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RCB set to play IPL 2026 away from Chinnaswamy after stampede tragedy forces stadium ban

As a consequence, RCB will lose the home-ground advantage at Chinnaswamy, a venue renowned for its electric atmosphere and die-hard fan base. The franchise will be assigned a new home stadium for the 2026 edition, though the BCCI has yet to confirm the replacement venue.

RCB had just finished their long wait for a title with Rajat Patidar's January coming out party as they defeated Punjab Kings at the 2025 IPL final in Ahmedabad, but the elations turned into a tragedy, and we are now dealing with the ramifications of it before what should be an eventful season.

The event has also sparked political blame games, where the opposition BJP is blaming the Congress-led Karnataka government for endorsing the event without any real enforcement of safety norms. The Karnataka Government ,meanwhile, pledges to restructure those safety norms before allowing a large, public events at the stadium. And with court processes continuing, with no solid timeline in which Chinnaswamy will become a cricket venue again, it is a difficult transition year for RCB away from home as defending champions, under significant public scrutiny.