Ever since they won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title on June 3 this year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has had a roller-coaster ride in their fortunes. From the infamous stampede issue during their victory celebrations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the impending change in ownership, RCB and its fans have been through a lot in recent months. However, there does seem to be some good news.
On Sunday (December 7), Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made a mammoth statement regarding the IPL future of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB's home venue in the league. Since the stampede issue resulted in chaos and multiple deaths, the venue has been suspended from hosting any form of professional cricket.
Karnataka's premier T20 league had to be shifted to Mysore and even the Duleep Trophy games weren't held at Chinnaswamy Stadium despite being organized in Bengaluru. All this has raised speculations about a new home venue for RCB in IPL 2026. In fact, Pune is reportedly being looked upon as an option. However, Shivakumar is strong in his stance about the Chinnaswamy Stadium's future.
Will not allow IPL matches to be shifted out of Chinnaswamy stadium.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) December 7, 2025
This is a question of Bengaluru and Karnataka’s pride. We will ensure IPL matches are held here.
I am a cricket fan. We will ensure that such incidents don’t recur in the future and uphold the reputation of… https://t.co/RlaJDWVk5C
"IPL matches will not be allowed to be shifted away from Chinnaswamy Stadium," said Shivakumar while interacting with the press after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections.
"This is a question of Bengaluru and Karnataka’s pride. We will ensure IPL matches are held here. I am a cricket fan. We will ensure that such incidents don’t recur in the future and uphold the reputation of the stadium. We will also build a new cricket stadium as an alternative."
