KSCA chief Venkatesh Prasad shared details if Chinnaswamy Stadium can host IPL 2026 matches. He said that the remainder of the work will be done in due course and the ground will be ready, before adding that the defending champions haven’t communicated anything to the authorities.
Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) chief Venkatesh Prasad, on January 21, addressed the concerns regarding the M Chinnaswamy Stadiumโs availability for IPL 2026. In a press conference in Bengaluru, the former cricketer revealed that the state authorities have permitted them to host matches in the forthcoming season, given some of the conditions are met. He mentioned that there are certain challenges on the way, but believes that KSCA can prepare the stadium within the given timeframe.
In the meantime, he also clarified that the ball is now in RCBโs court, as the management will decide whether to play in Bengaluru, or in Navi Mumbai and Raipur, as they have already indicated. Venkatesh mentioned that he hopes RCB play all their matches in the city, including the opening game, before adding that the franchise has not communicated anything to the government regarding their plans.
โI sincerely hope and pray that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru play all their home matches, including the opening match, here. We are confident we are going to complete the job by end of February to get the unconditional letter from the Govt of Karnataka,โ Venkatesh said in the press conference.
โThe ball is in RCB’s court. I also hope that RCB also get involved and engage with the government for the smooth conduct of matches. So far it’s been one-sided,โ he added.
What happened, what BCCI said and whatโs going on?
Following the death of 11 people, including children, during RCBโs trophy celebration, the Chinnaswamy Stadium was banned by the Karnataka government and due to this, the Womenโs World Cup final had to be shifted. Since then, the stadium has yet to host any professional matches.
Meanwhile, BCCI has given RCB a deadline of January 27 to finalise their home venue for the next season. The franchise has already spoken in length about the situation and as per reports, they are likely to play five of their home matches in Navi Mumbai and two in Raipur. Now, it needs to be seen if KSCA or the government of Karnataka manage to convince the RCB otherwise.ย