Karnataka State Cricket Association chief Venkatesh Prasad opened up about hosting IPL 2026 matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Prasad said the state authorities have allowed competitions to be held at the venue provided the specific conditions set by the Karnataka state government are met.
Eleven people were killed and several others injured outside the stadium during RCB’s victory celebrations last year. After the stampede during the victory parade on June 4, no matches were scheduled at the venue. Any future permission to host games will be subject to state government approval.
We had promised to bring back the IPL Bengaluru – Venkatesh Prasad
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on January 21, Venkatesh Prasad said the KSCA has taken a big step towards bringing back IPL matches to the city. He stated that the first major hurdle had been cleared after authorities gave conditional approval to host matches at the stadium.
“We had promised to bring the IPL back to this great city and this iconic stadium and the first hurdle has been cleared,” Prasad said.
“If all agencies were not convinced that KSCA can achieve everything set out in the given timeline, they would not have given us this conditional approval… There was no day or night for us in the last 30 to 45 days,” he added.
Still a lot of work to be done – Venkatesh Prasad
Prasad also said that a lot of work still needs to be done before cricket can return to Bengaluru. He stated that the KSCA is in discussions with several agencies and contractors. He hinted that a few individuals are trying to create obstacles with the intention of delaying the return of matches to the stadium.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. We are talking to various agencies, contractors, etc. to ensure that we also provide the highest standards of safety, governance and spectator welfare,” Prasad added.
“In everything we do, there are a few individuals who try to create hurdles. With the clear intention of delaying the return of cricket to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.”
The ball is in RCB’s court – Venkatesh Prasad
Venkatesh Prasad also said that he hopes RCB will play all their home matches in Bengaluru, including the opening match. He added that the KSCA is confident it will meet all requirements by the end of February. He also noted that RCB has not yet communicated their plans to the government.
“I sincerely hope and pray that Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play all their home matches, including the opening match, here. We are confident that we will complete the job by the end of February to receive the unconditional letter from the Government of Karnataka,” Venkatesh said.
“The ball is in RCB’s court. I also hope that RCB also gets involved and works with the government for smooth conduct of the matches. So far it has been one-sided,” he added.
“Having done all this, I sincerely hope and pray that Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play all their home matches, including the opening match, here.
We are confident that we will complete the job by the end of February to receive the unconditional letter from the Government of Karnataka.”—Saurabh Somani (@saurabh_42) January 21, 2026
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