MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League will be held from March 26 to May 31, but uncertainty remains over whether defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will get to host a match at their home venue following a deadly stampede that halted big-ticket cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
As per established norms, the Chinnaswamy Stadium should host the tournament opener since the home side, RCB, won the IPL 2025 title. However, the issue is unlikely to be clear until the BCCI releases the full schedule.
The venue witnessed chaos and a stampede that left 11 people dead after RCB’s trophy celebrations drew lakhs onto the streets in June this year, overwhelming the state machinery at short notice.
While the stadium has received conditional clearance from the Karnataka government, it is still required to meet necessary safety and security standards following the deaths.
The franchise drew intense criticism for encouraging people to turn up for the street celebrations without obtaining requisite clearances from government agencies.
"Every year, the IPL opening match traditionally takes place at the home ground of the team that won the trophy in the previous season," recently elected Karnataka State Cricket Association president Venkatesh Prasad told reporters in Mysuru.
"But there was some uncertainty due to the stampede during RCB's IPL championship celebrations on June 4.
"So, I've held discussions with the BCCI about hosting the opening match in Bengaluru, and they are also discussing the issue," he added.
After the stampede, Bengaluru also lost the Women’s World Cup matches scheduled earlier this year owing to security and administrative concerns.
The mini-auction for IPL 2026 will be held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders entering the process with the biggest purse.