RCB ended their 17-year wait and clinched their maiden IPL title, while RR finished ninth on IPL 2025 points table.
The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) face a tight deadline from the BCCI to confirm their plans for hosting IPL 2026 matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, respectively. BCCI officials set the January 27 deadline during a recent IPL Governing Council meeting, as franchises deal with logistical and regulatory issues.
RCB, the IPL 2025 champions, face major challenges due to a new Karnataka government law enacted after a stampede incident near the stadium last year, which saw 11 people killed and 56 others injured. The law holds organisers responsible for any incidents on the surrounding outer roads during events.
This raises concerns for RCB owners, who face venue-specific problems, such as the fire brigade parking area being occupied by the team’s music system and DJ setup. Despite publicly stating their focus and wish to host home games at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB are reportedly seeking other options as well.
RCB are likely to host five of its home matches at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, and the remaining two matches may be held in Raipur. But for that, RCB will require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Indians to host matches in Navi Mumbai. This is because, according to the IPL rules, whenever you want to host your home matches in another franchise’s city, you have to get an NOC from that team, as it could impact their home advantage and potentially affect in-stadium viewership. This adds another layer of issues to RCB’s IPL 2026 venue plans as the franchise navigates safety regulations and practical logistics.
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Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals need to finalise the IPL 2026 arrangements to hold matches in Jaipur, although specific concerns there are not as detailed. It has been learnt that RR have previously approached the Maharashtra Cricket Association to host their four games in Pune as the franchise plans to change their venue for IPL 2026 due to issues with the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The situation worsened last season when an RCA official accused the team of match-fixing, which was denied by the franchise officials, who called for strict action.
While three of their seven home games are expected to be held at their adopted home in Guwahati, RR need to confirm the host city for their remaining four games. For now, there is no clarity yet, but the MCA Stadium has not hosted a single game in the last three seasons of the tournament. The venue last hosted an IPL match in 2022, when the league was played at only three locations in Mumbai and Pune, along with the playoffs in Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Both teams’ decisions will impact the overall IPL schedule, which is waiting for the announcement of election dates in Tamil Nadu, Assam, and West Bengal.
The IPL 2026 could see matches in various cities, including Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai (Wankhede), Kolkata, Ahmedabad, New Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Dharamshala, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Navi Mumbai (DY Patil), and Thiruvananthapuram. These options give flexibility amid uncertainties.
While the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad will play their home games at their respective regular single venues, the other four teams—Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC), RR, and RCB—will have two different venues for their seven home matches.
Punjab Kings, RR, and Delhi Capitals have previously played at two venues to grow their fan base and promote the game. But this will be the first time the RCB play home games outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the tournament in India and without any covid restrictions, if they finalise another venue.
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