RCB's IPL 2026 home ground decided as franchise moves away from Chinnaswamy stadium

The uncertainty surrounding the home matches of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the upcoming IPL 2026 will reportedly mean that they will not be held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, following the tragic stampede during the team’s victory parade last year. Instead, RCB will host their home games at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Shaheen Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur next season.

“RCB will play five matches in Navi Mumbai and two in Raipur during IPL 2026. The RCB officials have finalised the arrangement recently after meetings with the concerned officials," The Times of India quoted a source as saying on Tuesday.

Conversely, the Rajasthan Royals will conduct their home matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune. Last year, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hinted at the possibility that the Rajasthan Cricket Association might lose the right to host RR’s home games due to their failure to hold elections.

An ad hoc committee was managing the RCA as two rival factions vied for legitimacy. “We had already communicated to the RCA last year that, in case you are not able to organise these elections, it would be difficult for us to conduct 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 outside the venue on June 4, which resulted in 11 fatalities and left 50 others injured during RCB’s IPL victory parade.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been making significant efforts to restore top-level cricket to the venue, having recently held discussions with the state government.

In December, the Karnataka state government denied the KSCA permission to host Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the venue, citing safety and security issues, which led to the fixtures being moved to the BCCI’s Centre Of Excellence.

A report by Justice John Michael D’Cunha following the stampede labeled the venue as “highly unsafe” for large gatherings.

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