IPL 2026: Bengaluru Matches Await Final Clearance After RCB Stampede Incident

After a delay, the BCCI announced the first phase schedule of IPL 2026 on Wednesday. The opening match will be played on March 28 at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium between RCB and SRH. But as has been the case so far, the suspense over Bengaluru as the venue, continues. After the ugly stampede that took place during the victory ceremony of RCB, outside the stadium last year, it seems the authorities/ people concerned do not want to take any chances.

Bengaluru IPL Matches Await Final Clearance

So despite being M Chinnaswamy Stadium being allotted the matches, the final decision will only be taken on March 13. As per a statement by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the matches in Bengaluru are subject to ‘clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka’.

The statement read, “The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches.”

While this decision is good from a safety point of view, it puts RCB in a slightly difficult situation. Other teams will get a home advantage, but RCB might miss that if their matches are not played in Bengaluru. However, a final decision is expected soon.