Karnataka Clears Chinnaswamy for IPL 2026 Matches

Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium received formal approval from the Karnataka government on Monday to host matches for the 2026 Indian Premier League season, clearing the way for defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to play at their home ground starting March 28.

The decision ends months of uncertainty following a tragic stampede during celebrations after RCB's maiden IPL title win in 2025, which claimed 11 lives on June 4. The incident prompted a comprehensive safety review, including a one-man commission that identified vulnerabilities in crowd management and recommended upgrades. Since then, the stadium had not hosted top-flight cricket until conditional approvals earlier this year, followed by final clearance after recent inspections.

Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar chaired a meeting at Vidhana Soudha on March 16, where an expert committee presented its report on the venue's preparedness. The panel, led by G. Maheshwar Rao and including Bengaluru Police Commissioner Sreemant Kumar Singh as member secretary, conducted a full-day inspection on Friday. They evaluated structural integrity, entry and exit points, emergency response systems, and crowd...