Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been given conditional permission to hold Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, for the first time since last year’s stampede. The decision was taken in a meeting held between government officials and representatives of RCB and Karnataka Cricket Association. The minister added that further discussions are needed before approval is confirmed.
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. (File photo.)”The IPL matches are approaching. Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Venkatesh Prasad, RCB representatives and others have met me seeking permission. We have given conditional approval, but the matter needs detailed discussion. On Wednesday, we will meet the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Pali (BBMP) commissioner, police commissioner and legal representatives and the final discussion will be done after discussions with Parwar’s representatives.”
The KSCA president described the discussions as constructive and said that RCB representatives have been formally introduced to government officials.
“The government has been very supportive and guided us on what needs to be done to ensure that matches can be held here,” Prasad said.
He said the home minister expressed support and assured another meeting with a select committee on February 12 to help finalize the decision.
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“Since RCB has won the IPL in 2025, the opening ceremony will have to be held at Chinnaswamy Stadium. We need the government’s permission for this. The home minister has assured us that after the committee meeting, they will facilitate everything to host the opening ceremony and all RCB home matches,” he said.
Matches at the stadium have been suspended since June last year after a stampede during RCB’s IPL title celebrations left 11 people dead and several others injured.
The state-run Justice Michael D’Cunha Commission had earlier described the venue as fundamentally unsafe, citing flaws in design, crowd movement, emergency planning and traffic management. As a result, the stadium lost Women’s World Cup matches, including the final, and was dropped from India’s list of host venues for the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.
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The permit involves compliance with 17 security conditions set by the city police based on the commission’s recommendations. Officials said that clearance will be given only after complete implementation.
“The guidelines mainly focus on crowd control and emergency preparedness. The authorities have ordered the improvement of entry and exit systems both inside and outside the stadium, where ticket distribution and queues of spectators spill over onto the pavement, disrupting traffic and creating a safety hazard. A minimum of 6 feet,” said an official familiar with the matter.
Fire safety upgrades include separate exits and improved evacuation routes. The stadium must provide dedicated facilities for women and children, introduce a real-time system to track visitors inside and improve parking as well as nearby pick-up and drop arrangements, the officer said. Other measures include increasing the number of entry and exit gates, creating dedicated crowd circulation zones away from public roads, installing internationally compliant emergency evacuation systems, and strengthening traffic and parking infrastructure around the stadium.
