The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has officially announced that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been cleared to resume hosting Indian Premier League (IPL) and international matches respectively. This decision marks a significant turning point for the iconic venue, which had been under a strict suspension since June of last year.
Chinnaswamy permitted to host IPL 2026 matches
The hiatus followed a tragic incident during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 title celebrations, where a stampede resulted in the deaths of 11 people and left numerous others injured. The fallout from the tragedy led to the stadium being stripped of several high-profile events, including its exclusion from the upcoming T20 World Cup and the relocation of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
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KSCA granted green signal
The resumption of cricket at the stadium was not immediate, as it was strictly contingent upon the KSCA fulfilling the safety requirements outlined in the Justice Michael D’Cunha report. This report, commissioned as part of a formal investigation into the tragedy, provided a series of mandatory recommendations designed to overhaul crowd management and ensure such a disaster never occurs again.
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“We are pleased to announce that the Home Department, Government of Karnataka, has granted permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association to host international and IPL matches at the iconic venue. The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the government and concerned authorities,” KSCA said in a statement.
"The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the Government and the concerned Authorities. KSCA is confident of fulfilling all the stipulated conditions. The Association has already presented a detailed compliance roadmap before the Expert Review Committee and remains fully committed to implementing all safety, security, and crowd-management measures in letter and spirit," the release read further.