RCB to Host IPL 2026 Home Matches at Navi Mumbai and Raipur, Dropping Chinnaswamy Stadium

Following a tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations that caused 11 deaths and over 50 injuries, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been deemed unsafe for large events. Consequently, RCB will not host any home matches there in IPL 2026. Instead, the franchise has finalized two alternative venues: Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium, hosting five matches, and Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, hosting two. The Karnataka government has denied permission for events at Chinnaswamy, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association continues efforts to restore its status. This marks the first IPL season where RCB will play home games away from Bengaluru, affecting fans and traditional home-ground dynamics.