RCB won only two matches at home in the last season.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden Indian Premier League trophy in the last edition. After lifting the trophy in Ahmedabad for the first time in 18 years, the win by RCB would always be tainted by an unfortunate event in the city of Bengaluru that followed the next day.
After beating the Punjab Kings in the final, legacy player Virat Kohli announced trophy celebrations in Bengaluru. However, the multiple cases of miscommunication, mismanagement, and a lack of civic sense led to a stampede in the city. It cost at least 11 lives and left several injured. Later, the cricket venue was held back from hosting matches, including the KSCA Maharaja Trophy and the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025.
The home venue of RCB for 18 years has witnessed some historic matches. However, the unfortunate turn of events in Bengaluru may trigger the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the governing body of IPL to take strict measures.
Last season, Rajat Patidar & Co. lost three home games on the trot before winning the next two. Their last home game, against the Kolkata Knight Riders, was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Notably, it was Virat Kohli’s first match after announcing his retirement from Tests on May 12, 2025.
Previously, in 2016, the IPL final took place at the same ground. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru were up against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. It would’ve been a fairytale to win in front of the home crowd, but SRH lifted their maiden trophy.
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Months after the Bengaluru stampede, the franchise reportedly approached the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s Stadium in Pune as their home venue.
At the same time, the Rajasthan Royals are in the middle of a dispute. The Rajasthan Cricket Association had accused the team of spot fixing during the last season. While the team clearly denied all doubts, they have been looking to shift their home base to Pune. However, at least two of their total home matches will be held in Guwahati.
Recently, on January 4, 2026, MCA released a statement which spoke about both teams, RCB and RR, visiting the stadium in the last few weeks.
The statement MCA also reads, “Considering BCCI’s support for the Maharashtra Cricket Association, we are sure that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will approve the MCA International Stadium as a venue for the upcoming fixtures of one of these teams [RCB, RR] in the near future. With BCCI’s support, Indian Premier League matches can soon be hosted in Pune—bringing high-profile clashes, world-class players, and the electrifying IPL spectacle to cricket fans in the city.”
Conclusively, one of the two teams will have their home matches at the MCA Stadium. It’s a waiting game to see which team will be adopted by Pune, while the other team’s search will continue.
Pune has previously hosted IPL games, especially for their home team, Rising Pune Supergiant, in 2016 and 2017.
The Bengaluru franchise has a global fanbase. The chants of “RCB, RCB” from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium would not be hard to replicate at any other location in India. On other other hand, the fan’s sentiments will be affected irrespective of the decision to continue matches in Bengaluru or not.
An official notice from either teams is awaited.
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