IPL 2026: Chinnaswamy Stadium Matches on Hold Until Safety Clearance, Says Karnataka Govt

It seems difficult to hold IPL 2026 matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Karnataka government has ordered that a safety clearance report be submitted first before allowing matches to be held at this stadium. To this end, the Public Works Department (PWD) has issued an official notice to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). It has ordered that a detailed structural safety report be submitted regarding the stadium. The report will have to be prepared by experts certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Based on this report, a decision will be taken whether to allow matches at Chinnaswamy Ground or not. RCB ( Royal Challengers Bengaluru ) emerged as the champions in IPL 2025.. Victory celebrations were held at Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4. It is known that the stampede at the stadium then left 11 people dead and more than 50 injured, causing tragedy.

The judicial commission which was appointed by the state government and presided over by retired judge Justice John Michael D. Cunha is investigating the stampede incident. The commission determined that Chinnaswamy Stadium is unfit for matches. It sounded the alarm that in case large gatherings take place in the stadium, it will be beyond the control of the authorities to manage the crowd and a similar situation of stampede and traffic jams in the city will arise again. Since the stampede, no match has taken place at the venue. If the matches are to be resumed, the safety of the audience galleries and the entire structure of the stadium will have to be certified for large events. The Karnataka government has publicly stated that the IPL 2026 matches will only be allowed at this venue if it gets the safety clearance. Against this backdrop, RCB is in search of other options. The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in Pune is open to the idea of staging 2026 IPL matches at the stadium.