The 19th edition of the IPL is hardly a few days away, but there is still no clarity on whether the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host matches, despite the Government of Karnataka granting permission to host matches at the stadium.

Differences between KSCA, RCB and the State Government

There is some difference of opinion between the Karnataka State Cricket Association, the State Government and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Meanwhile, a KSCA official stated that one needs to talk to RCB. The preparation work at the stadium will be completed before the tournament starts, and the KSCA has been granted permission to host games there.

KSCA recently lamented that infrastructure is developed at a fast pace at the stadium, keeping in mind the safety enhancement measures under the guidance of the expert committee and other authorities. Some gates through which the audience enters the stadium have been demolished and widened.

 In addition to this, other improvements have been made. The renovation work is expected to be completed by the end of February. RCB franchise owners want an unconditional clearance, keeping in mind the tragedy of 4th June 2025. The franchise owners are also thinking of another alternative by hosting the games at the Shaheed  Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

As the dates for the Assembly elections to be held in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu haven’t been announced yet, the BCCI hasn’t announced the schedule for the 2026 IPL season. In addition to this, the Chinnaswamy Stadium isn’t fully renovated and this has extended the delay.

The Rajasthan Royals are also facing the same issue as they want an indemnity from the Rajasthan Government to play their home matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. According to the letter given by the franchise to the Rajasthan Government and the BCCI, any decision taken by the BCCI for hosting RR’s games at the stadium should follow the guidelines, and there should be an indemnity from the state government or stadium authority to protect the Rajasthan Royals from any incident that occurs from any life or public safety failures or any electrical or technical failures keeping in mind the risks identified. Rajasthan Royals might play four out of their seven games at Jaipur as per some reports.