IPL 2026: RCB to change home venue? Two strong contenders emerge as host, they are…

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was once used to be the fortress of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but now it has reportedly become a venue from which the franchise is maintaining a distance.This is due to the tragic stampede which happened after RCB won the IPL 2025 and the celebrations turned fatal. The Bengaluru franchise is unlikely to host their matches at the iconic stadium in 2026 season.

RCB won the IPL 2025 and had organised a victory celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. But the event turned into a complete chaos when a stampede unfolded which resulted in death of 11 people and many were left injured. Since then the venue has been under a dark shadow and as per a report by NDTV, RCB have not initiated talks with the Karnataka Cricket Association regarding hosting the IPL 2026 matches at the venue.

The report further suggested that Raipur has emerged as the leading option to host RCB’s home matches and Indore is also under consideration as an alternative venue. Notably, the stadium has already seen reduced usage, with even Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy fixture against Andhra Pradesh in December being relocated at the last minute.

In another development, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have also decided to move away from their home venue and shift to Pune. The decision comes after ongoing dispute with the Rajasthan Cricket Association – the issue become intense when RSA official publicly accused the franchise of match-fixing.