New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will play five out of seven home games in 2026 indian premier league (IPL) season is held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The confirmation comes ahead of the start of the new season, which will see the defending champions return to their main home ground.It was a major development for RCB last year when a horrific stampede occurred near the stadium due to mismanagement as they celebrated their maiden IPL title. The development comes after months of coordination with the relevant authorities to ensure that the tournament can be held in Bengaluru, news agency ANI quoted a statement from RCB. As per previous commitments, the remaining two home matches of the 2026 IPL season will be played at the Shahid Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.“RCB sincerely thanks the Karnataka government, Karnataka Cricket Association and Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of the tournament in Bengaluru. The collective efforts to enhance infrastructure and security measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play most of their home matches at their home ground,” a statement said.Royal Challengers Bangalore CEO Rajesh Menon said: “The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is not just our home ground, it is where who we are as a team truly shines through. The energy our fans bring to Bangalore has been a driving force for our players, motivating them through every phase of the game. Our fans support us unconditionally and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team play at home.”“After detailed discussions and completion of necessary due process regarding clearance, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, KSCA and Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible. Menon said.Eleven people were killed and more than 50 injured in a stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4 last year, when nearly 300,000 people gathered to watch Royal Challengers Bangalore’s victory celebrations to celebrate their first IPL trophy.
