According to a report in Times of India, Dy Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur will host RCB’s home games.
“RCB will play five matches in Navi Mumbai, and two in Raipur during IPL-2026. The RCB officials have finalised the arrangement recently after meetings with the concerned officials,” a source told TOI.
Why RCB Will Not Play Home Games In Bengaluru?
The development comes after Chinnaswamy Stadium was deemed unfit to host large-scale events. For the unversed, 11 people lost their lives, and nearly 50 were injured during a stampede at the RCB’s victory celebration after the win in IPL 2025. The Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t hosted any major matches since the tragic event. Last December, the Karnataka state government denied permission to the KSCA for hosting Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the venue, citing safety and security concerns, after which the fixtures were shifted to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
This will be the first time in IPL history that RCB will play their matches at a neutral venue, despite the tournament being played in India. It’s a setback to the fans because RCB is one of the most followed franchises in the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals’ Matches Shifted To Pune
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will also reportedly play their home matches at the MCA Stadium in Pune. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal had already dropped a major hint that the Rajasthan Cricket Association will lose out on hosting RR’s home matches after failing to conduct elections. RCA was being run by an ad hoc committee as two rival factions claimed legitimacy.
“We had already communicated to the RCA last year that, in case you are not able to organise these elections, it would be difficult for us to conduct the tournament there,” Dhumal said after the IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.