The Karnataka government on Thursday approved the return of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the 2026 season, reversing a moratorium imposed last year after a stampede.
The state cabinet has given permission for IPL matches at ChinnaswamyThe decision, taken at a cabinet meeting, allowed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to hold their home fixtures at the venue, which was hampered after a stampede on June 4 during the franchise’s maiden title celebrations.
The incident left 11 people dead and several injured, leading to the Women’s World Cup final being moved from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai and the stadium being dropped from India’s list of venues for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.
“The Cabinet has today (Thursday) decided to allow IPL matches to be held during IPL 2026. The Home Department has been directed to finalize the conditions and issue necessary orders in this regard. The department will update the conditions and outline the preparations to be followed in the order… The decision was taken by Parliament’s Law and Expert Committee while considering the recommendations of Justice Cunha Committee and Maheswara Rao.” Subject HK Patil.
Officials said the home department would spell out the detailed terms of the order. When asked whether permission has been extended for other international matches outside IPL fixtures, the minister said the department would clarify.
More Read
“The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been directed to follow the recommendations based on Justice John Michael D’Cunha’s report. Some of the recommendations have been complied with. [RCB] Bengaluru sought permission to play the opening match, as they won last year and are the defending champions. The government constituted a high-level committee comprising GBA chief, city police commissioner and others. We received the report today (Thursday),” Home Minister G Parameshwara said after a cabinet meeting with stakeholders.
He added that several concerns raised by the RCB representatives related to infrastructure. “Some of the concerns raised by RCB representatives include gates, parking areas and holding areas, which are infrastructural in nature. Others, such as ambulance and doctor provision, are not infrastructural concerns and can be addressed immediately. They say steps have already been taken,” he said.
Parameshwara added that the onus of match management will be on the hosts.
More Read
“RCB and KSCA are conducting the event. Those who are organizing the event should be held responsible. The government cannot be held responsible,” he said.
The stadium’s problems stem from the findings of the state-appointed Justice Michael D’Cunha Commission, which previously described the venue as fundamentally unsafe, citing deficiencies in design, crowd movement, emergency planning and traffic management.
Clearance for IPL matches is linked to compliance with 17 security conditions laid down by the City Police based on the recommendations of the Commission. Officials said approval would be given only after full implementation.
“The guidelines mainly focus on crowd control and emergency preparedness. Authorities have ordered improvements to entry and exit systems both inside and outside the stadium, citing the current practice where ticket distribution and spectator queues spill out onto the pavement, disrupting traffic and creating security risks.
The conditions require separate areas for ticketing and queuing, smooth movement of pedestrians and making all gates of the stadium a minimum of 6 feet wide,” said an official familiar with the matter.
The stadium must provide dedicated facilities for women and children, introduce a real-time system to track visitors inside, and upgrade parking and pick-up systems.
