Bengaluru, Jan 21 (.) The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Venkatesh Prasad on Wednesday said it was now up to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to decide whether they would return to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for their IPL 2026 home matches.
Addressing a press conference here, Prasad said the KSCA had done its part after the Karnataka government recently granted permission for the stadium to resume hosting matches, following last year’s stampede incident that claimed 11 lives during RCB’s IPL 2025 celebrations.
“The ball is in RCB’s court. I also hope that RCB gets involved and engages with the government for the smooth conduct of matches. So far, it has been one-sided,” Prasad said.
He stressed that it was RCB’s responsibility to play their home games in Bengaluru and not move them away from the city.
“It’s their responsibility to come back here and play, and not to take the game away from Bengaluru. They have grown because of the Bengaluru fans,” he added.
Prasad said the Chinnaswamy Stadium would be ready with all the changes and safety measures suggested by the state government and expressed confidence that the KSCA would receive an unconditional clearance letter by the end of February.
“I 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 the end of February to get the unconditional letter from the Government of Karnataka,” he said.
KSCA officials also clarified that RCB would need to formally engage with the state government to finalise arrangements for hosting their IPL 2026 home fixtures at the venue.
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