Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has issued a strong clarification regarding Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) prospects of playing their home fixtures at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2026. RCB enter the season as defending champions after lifting the 2025 title.
Post their iconic triumph, the victory parade in Bengaluru took an unfortunate turn, leading to a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Since then, doubts circulated over whether the franchise would be allowed to host IPL 2026 games at the venue, especially after the stadium was stripped of a few matches during the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
Putting all uncertainty to rest, DK Shivakumar declared that the IPL 2026 fixtures will remain at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and will not be relocated. He made this announcement on Sunday, December 7, 2025, shortly after casting his vote in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections.
“This is a matter of respect for the state of Karnataka and Bengaluru. We will take steps to ensure that the next IPL matches are held here. I am a cricket fan. We will take care that the recent disaster does not happen again and ensure that the stadium’s dignity remains.”
”The stadium will be developed by managing the crowd within the legal framework. In addition, we will build a bigger stadium as an alternative,” he was quoted as saying by News18.
RCB Finalize Retained And Released Players Before IPL 2026 Auction
RCB have already kicked off their campaign to defend their first-ever IPL title. As part of their squad restructuring ahead of the 2026 auction, the reigning champions made crucial calls on player retention and releases. A total of seven cricketers were let go — Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, and Mohit Rathee.
On the retention front, the franchise kept hold of a strong core, including captain Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Tushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, and Suyash Sharma.
Heading into the IPL 2026 auction with a remaining budget of ₹16.40 crore, RCB will look to reinforce their lineup and put together a squad capable of claiming back-to-back championships.
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