RCB to play five home games at Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2026

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five of their IPL 2026 home games at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the franchise confirmed. Their remaining two home fixtures will be staged at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.

The confirmation follows months of uncertainty after a stampede during RCB's victory parade outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in June 2025 claimed 11 lives. The incident prompted a temporary halt to cricket at the venue.

On January 17, the Karnataka state government granted conditional approval to resume cricket operations at the stadium. A formal clearance followed on February 12, opening the doors for RCB to return to their long-time home venue.

"The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground," a franchise release stated.

RCB CEO Rajesh Menon added: "The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground—it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive. The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players. After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru."

RCB's confirmation could now clear the way for the announcement of the IPL 2026 schedule, although the programme remains subject to the declaration of election dates in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

As for Raipur, the venue has previously hosted six IPL matches, most recently in 2016. That fixture also featured RCB, with Virat Kohli earning the Player of the Match award for an unbeaten, match-winning 54.

Traditionally, the opening game of a new IPL season features the defending champions at their home ground. Whether RCB begin their title defence in Bengaluru before shifting to Raipur later in the season remains to be seen.