Bengaluru, India – In a significant development for cricket in Karnataka, the state cabinet has conditionally cleared the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to host IPL 2026 matches. The decision, made during Thursday's cabinet meeting, comes after months of uncertainty following a tragic stampede incident on June 4, 2025, during RCB's victory celebrations, which resulted in 11 deaths and several injuries.
The approval is contingent upon the stadium meeting all mandated safety upgrades recommended by the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission. The commission, formed to investigate the stampede, had earlier declared the stadium unsafe for large gatherings, citing inherent design and structural issues. Their report concluded that the 1974-built stadium lacked basic modern safety features, posing "unacceptable risks" for crowd management, emergency response, and traffic control.
The mandated safety upgrades include increasing the number of entry and exit gates, creating dedicated queuing and crowd-circulation zones separated from public roads, implementing internationally compliant emergency evacuation systems, and improving traffic management and parking infrastructure. The Home Department has been authorized to take the final decision and issue permissions only after all safety and structural requirements outlined in the Cunha Commission's report are implemented and verified. Government sources have stated that matches will only be allowed after the recommendations are fulfilled.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has assured that IPL matches will not be shifted out of Bengaluru, calling hosting matches a matter of Karnataka's pride. He emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring crowd safety while simultaneously ensuring that the city does not lose major sporting events. Shivakumar also confirmed that the state plans to eventually build a new, modern cricket stadium, although Chinnaswamy will remain the top venue in the immediate future.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium had been practically blacklisted from hosting major events following the commission's report. The Women's Cricket World Cup matches were moved out, domestic fixtures were relocated to Mysuru, and Bengaluru was excluded from the initial venue list for the T20 World Cup 2026. The stadium has not hosted a cricket match since June 2025.
Newly elected KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad and his team met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, seeking urgent clearance to bring back major matches. Prasad described his meeting as “positive and fruitful”, adding that KSCA had sought urgent clearance to revive games in the iconic stadium.
The cabinet's decision has provided a major relief for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). It marks the first big step toward normalcy and gives Bengaluru another chance to host top-level cricket, contingent on a full safety overhaul.
