Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Venkatesh Prasad stated that the decision regarding the return of IPL 2026 games to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium now lies with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), mentioning that “the ball is in their court.”
The stadium has not hosted any competitive cricket since June 4, when 11 fans tragically died in a stampede during RCB’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations. This conditional clearance comes amidst discussions about RCB potentially moving their home matches to Navi Mumbai or Raipur.
“First to think, we are aiming to get back IPL games and all up to RCB. It’s left to them – they have to come back and be in sync with KSCA and the government of Karnataka. The ball is in their court now. There’s nothing concrete that has come up and we have been talking. So it’s now for them to come back to us,” Prasad said.
He expressed gratitude to various stakeholders for the conditional clearance to host games again. “There is still a lot of work to be done. The job is half done, I should say. We have got the conditional letter, for which I am extremely thankful to the government of Karnataka, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the Home Minister, who has been very supportive, as he is a keen sports enthusiast.”
Prasad mentioned that there have been several meetings and phone calls with the Honorable Home Minister. “I think he’s been amazing and constituted a committee that visited to see the progress and what we need to be doing. Everything is now in place for sure,” added Prasad, the former India pacer.
He also discussed the infrastructure work that still needs to be completed and expressed hope of finishing it by the end of February. “Yes, it’s about the entrances and exits, spectators holding areas, and services like the fire department, BESCOM, and others, which have mostly been completed.”
“Just a few things are still pending, with entry and exit being one of the most important aspects and ensuring that fire engines can access the ground. We are trying to see how we can accommodate that.”
“We have provided a timeline based on the recommendations given to us. Hopefully, by the end of February, we should be able to complete everything,” he concluded.