RCB Struggles to Finalize Home Ground as MI Makes a Surprise Move
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is still facing issues before the IPL 2026. The team has been looking for a new home ground for the upcoming season, with Dr DY Patil Stadium coming as a frontrunner. Right before they could finalise, Mumbai Indians had stepped as an obstacle in the same.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is still facing issues before the IPL 2026. The team has been looking for a new home ground for the upcoming season, with Dr DY Patil Stadium coming as a frontrunner. Right before they could finalise, Mumbai Indians had stepped as an obstacle in the same.
While all the teams have started their preparations for the IPL 2026, there are a few teams which are facing troubles. One of them is the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as they search for a ground which could be their home in the next season. The team had been exploring several options for a long time.
And it was expected that their home ground would be finalised right in time for the schedule to be announced. With Dr DY Patil Stadium coming as a frontrunner, it has not been confirmed as their home ground yet. Mumbai Indians have stepped in this matter, as they want RCB to keep it as a last option.
1. RCB's Chinnaswamy Issue
Royal Challengers Bengaluru is having some troubles with the Chinnaswamy Stadium, heading over to the next IPL season. While they are the defending champions, it seems unlikely for the team to play any of its games at Chinnaswamy. It all happened due to the stampede which took place a day after IPL 2025 final.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
After RCB had won their first ever IPL title, the team announced its victory parade to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. It was also mentioned that the entry to the stadium will be free to the fans, which allowed them to turn up in huge numbers. This eventually caused some troubles to the police and management, as they were not prepared for the same.
Ultimately, it caused a stampede right outside the stadium. This unfortunate event resulted in the loss of 11 lives and also left at least 50 people injured. It was also reported that the stadium has a capacity of 35000, but the fans showed up were ranging from 2.5 to 3 lakh, much more than what the stadium could handle.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
This also resulted in FIR being registered against RCB franchise, DNA Entertainment, and the KSCA. The Karnataka Government announced the Stadium as unsafe, and even gave 10 lakh rupees to the families of deceased. On the other hand, RCB also announced 25 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased.
2. Is Chinnaswamy Ready to Host Games?
A few days back, Chinnaswamy Stadium took over the headlines yet again. This time it happened due to the fact that the Karnataka Government was able to give a green signal to the stadium. The government has given the stadium a status of conditional, which means it will stay under review.
Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo
It is also being reported that a high level meeting will take place to decide the future of this stadium. This meeting will take place tomorrow, and let the fans know whether they will be able to enjoy RCB's home games at this venue or not. Some upgrades are also being done at the stadium as of now, which includes:
- The entry and exit gates are now being expanded to have a width of 6 meters.
- More than 300 AI enabled cameras will also be installed to help in crowd monitoring.
- Different queues will be created for women and children, and the holding areas will also be added to prevent overcrowding.
After all these arrangements have been made, it will be decided whether RCB will have its home games at this venue or not. If it gets approved, fans will be able to watch the team's home games at the venue where they have played for 18 seasons. But as of now, it stays in a grey area.
3. RCB Exploring Alternatives
With the Chinnaswamy Stadium being under review, RCB is also exploring the alternatives. It was reported that the team will be having two home venues for the upcoming season. Five of their games will be played at the Dr DY Patil Stadium, and two will be played at the Raipur Stadium.
One of the key reasons why RCB may not be able to have their games at the Dr DY Patil Stadium is the territorial rights of Mumbai Indians. If they want to host games at this venue, they should first get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the franchise. Along with that, Navi Mumbai stadium is approximately 36 km away from the Wankhede stadium.
It is being reported that the Mumbai Indians had a talk with RCB for the same. They have said that the RCB must keep Dr DY Patil Stadium as their last option. This in turn has caused some more challenges for the defending champions.
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