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.

Since winning their maiden season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025, it has not been a smooth progress for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who may not be ruled out from hosting the high-attendance games at their home base, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has decided to act on Justice Michael Cunha's Commission report. It concluded that the stadium’s design and structure were unsuitable and unsafe for mass gatherings. 

The commission has been tasked to investigate the tragic stampede that happened on June 04 outside the ground and resulted in the deaths of 11 people. It took place on the Bengaluru roads around the venue when the franchise was going through the victory parade to celebrate their triumph at the IPL 2025.

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‘Any future venue should adhere to international standards. Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high-attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness.’ The panel said, as reported by Deccan Herald.

RCB to be banned from hosting IPL games at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

The report highlighted several critical shortcomings, including the lack of circulation zones and properly-built queues to separate the public role. There is not a sufficient number of gates for the large number of people to enter and exit, inadequate integration with transport and the tourist hubs, and the absence of emergency plans with international safety in question.

Since 1974, the 32000-capacity premises have been processed and managed by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). The stadium spans 16 acres and 32 gnats of land by the Public Works Department (PWD), which leased the property to the KSCA for 99 years since its beginning in 1969. The venue will now host the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 competition from August 11 to 28.

‘The design and structure of the stadium were unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering [sic]. All the entry and exit gates opened directly into the footpath. Spacious and organized holding area for crowd was not provided at the entry, as a result, the audience was forced to queue up on the footpath or road (obstructing) and endangering pedestrians and vehicular movement as well as giving scope for miscreants to join the crowd, aggravating the risk, especially in the absence of proper security.’ The report claimed.

In the wake of the devastating stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 win celebrations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued a big move. The tragic incident, which left 11 dead and some others injured, occurred as thousands of people had come to celebrate RCB's first IPL title. Following public outcry and grief, the issue was addressed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who promised preventive measures against such incidents in the future.

Talking to News18, Saikia explained, "Whatever has happened is very unfortunate. But we don't want to play the guilty game now." He explained that the official jurisdiction of the BCCI over the IPL is till the award presentation ceremony, and after that, franchises usually arrange their own celebrations. But due to the scale of the tragedy, Saikia announced that the board will now be implementing advisories to prevent such incidents in the future.

He went on to say, "From now on we will attempt to impose at least some advisory so that such incidents do not occur." This is a significant change in BCCI's policy on post-tournament activities, reflecting the board's readiness to intervene with instructions, even when not otherwise responsible, to guarantee the safety of participants and spectators during celebration of wins. 

BCCI Acts with Safety Regulations After Stampede Disaster

The stampede, which happened in the backdrop of congestion and lack of management during RCB's jubilant event, has initiated a national debate on the necessity for enhanced safety measures at large-scale cricket tournaments. With urban areas increasingly seeing huge turnouts at such events, experts have identified the need for better coordination between franchises, local administrations, and governing boards as a pressing priority.

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BCCI's forthcoming advisories are expected to outline crowd control measures, security protocols, and logistical planning recommendations. Although the board has kept away from making a direct accusation, its move is an attempt to be proactive about not repeating such a tragic event in the future. The decision has been received by many as a good step in the direction of fan safety and the uprightness of the sport.

The horrific stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 has now resulted in major legal proceedings. Bengaluru police have arrested Nikhil Sosale, marketing and revenue head for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Diageo India. Sosale was arrested at Bengaluru airport while allegedly trying to board a flight to Mumbai. The arrest is a part of the ongoing probe into the tragic crowd crush that killed 11 people and left 64 others injured while they were celebrating RCB's IPL 2025 victory.

Besides Sosale's arrest, three employees of DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt. Ltd.—namely Kiran, Sumanth, and Sunil Mathew—have also been arrested. The organization had been in charge of hosting the victory party at the stadium. The three people were summoned to Cubbon Park Police Station for questioning, where the FIR is filed. The FIR identifies RCB, DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as accused in the case.

At the same time, the KSCA secretary and treasurer are said to be absconding. Police visits to their homes have been uneventful. This comes after the Karnataka government has faced unprecedented backlash for the way it handled the event, where allegations of mismanagement and a lack of care have ramped up. Several senior police officers, including Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, have been suspended by the state government for lapses in security.

Political Fallout and Public Outrage

The stampede has now become a political controversy, with the opposition BJP calling for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to resign. Eyewitnesses and reports have indicated that Shivakumar went on enjoying the celebration and posing for photos with the RCB players within the stadium despite news of the stampede breaking through.

🚨 BREAKING: Nikhil Sosale, RCB Marketing head has bedd arrested at the airport. pic.twitter.com/AJzP1p6I1P

— Tata IPL 2025 Commentary (@IPL2025Auction) June 6, 2025

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Public anger has continued to build, particularly at the seeming indifference of organizers and officials. As arrests are now progressing and main characters are being tagged as accused, the spotlight is still on ensuring accountability and justice for the victims and their kin.

The first IPL trophy celebration after an 18-year-long wait for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has gone horribly wrong after a stampede outside the home stadium that took away 11 lives, along with almost 50 injured victims. RCB and the co-organisers of the event have been booked under multiple sections.

Last Tuesday night (June 3), Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first-ever IPL trophy after beating Punjab Kings in the Final of the IPL 2025 by six runs at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On the very next day, RCB organised a victory parade and public felicitation ceremony at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where the completed RCB team members were present to celebrate.  

Deadly stampede at outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium

Before the felicitation event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, there was a stampede situation outside the stadium. That horrible incident resulted in 11 unfortunate deaths and almost 50 more reported injuries, some of which were serious. Despite the stampede incident, the felicitation event continued. 

In the initial report, the overcrowded situation outside the stadium was the main reason, while there wasn't enough security to handle the unexpected large gathering outside the stadium. The stadium has a 35000-seating capacity, and the crowd was more than two lakhs outside the venue.  

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FIR has been filed against RCB and co-organisers

The Cubbon Park Police in Bengaluru have charged the IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), event management company DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Some of these charges are as follows:

• BNS Section 105: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
• BNS Section 115: Voluntarily to cause hurt
• BNS Section 118: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means
• BNS Section 125: Act endangering life or personal safety of others
• BNS Section 132: Assault or criminal drone to deter public servant from discharge of their duty
• BNS Section 190: Unlawful assembly

According to the ESPNcricinfo report, RCB are at the first of the accusation list of the FIR. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered the suspension of the Inspector of the Cubbon Park police station. The CM further ordered the arrest of the representatives of each of the parties listed in the FIR.

In the meantime, CM added that his government handed over the enquiry to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and planned to appoint a commission to probe the tragedy.