• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Ipl 2026 Matches At Chinnaswamy Stadium In Jeopardy As Government Demands Safety Clearance

IPL 2026 matches at Chinnaswamy stadium in jeopardy as government demands safety clearance

Anurag Dasgupta

Government demands safety clearance from Chinnaswamy [Source: AFP Photo]Government demands safety clearance from Chinnaswamy [Source: AFP Photo]

In the latest development, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches at the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium hang in jeopardy as the state government has ordered a detailed structural test before giving clearance to the stadium for hosting home games for the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued a notice to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), directing them to conduct a thorough structural safety report for the stadium. The report needs to be prepared by experts accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), and they will submit a detailed report.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium now has to demonstrate that it is capable of holding large public events, and only after a clearance from the independent organisation, the government will allow Chinnaswamy to host IPL matches next season.

What led to Chinnaswamy meeting cruel fate

A day after RCB won their maiden IPL title in 18 years, a victory celebration was hosted inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium as lakhs of people gathered to take part in the joyous event. However, after 3:30 PM, the crowd rushed across eight entry gates, forcing themselves past the barricades and also climbing the barbed-wire fencing to meet the RCB stars. 

As a result, a stampede took place, killing at least 11 people, and nearly 50 people got injured as controlling such a large gathering became a difficult task for the Police officials. As a result, the place was deemed unsuitable for large gatherings.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium was set to host matches in Women’s World Cup, but the BCCI took the games away and awarded it to the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The Chinnaswamy Stadium has been RCB's home since the inaugural season in 2008, but if the stadium is unfit to host large gatherings, the team might have to find a new home from next season.