After the June 2025 stampede forced a halt on all cricketing action at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has finally granted conditional approval for the venue to host international and Indian Premier League (IPL) matches again. The announcement was made by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Saturday, January 17. The decision paves the way for defending IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to return to their home ground this year.
Cricketing activities at the venue had been suspended after a stampede outside the stadium on June 4 last year left 11 fans dead during RCB’s IPL trophy celebrations. An investigation later attributed the tragedy to inadequate crowd management measures.
“We are pleased to inform you that the Home Department, Government of Karnataka, has granted permission to the KSCA to host international and IPL matches at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium,” KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya said in a statement. “The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the Government and concerned authorities.”
Following the stampede, the Justice D Cunha report had issued 17 recommendations to improve spectator safety. KSCA has said that 15 of these are feasible and that work on them is in progress. The association also claims compliance with norms prescribed by BESCOM and the Health Department. March 15 has been set as the deadline to complete the remaining tasks.
Mruthyunjaya added that the association had submitted a detailed compliance roadmap to the Expert Review Committee and was “fully committed” to implementing all mandated safety, security and crowd control measures.
With the IPL season scheduled to begin on March 26, KSCA faces a tight deadline to complete the mandated works. RCB, anticipating delays, had already drawn up contingency plans. The franchise explored alternative venues, holding discussions with the Chhattisgarh government about hosting matches in Raipur, and assessing options in Maharashtra, including the MCA Stadium in Pune and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The new KSCA administration, led by former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, has been in discussions with state agencies for weeks to expedite the stadium’s return to active use. The approval may also stall RCB’s move to consider shifting home match venues.
An Expert Review Committee headed by Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) chief M Maheshwar Rao was constituted last month to assess ongoing work. The panel visited the KSCA earlier this week, meeting secretary Santosh Menon and other officials to evaluate the timelines proposed for completing the required upgrades.
According to reports, approval was granted after government agencies verified KSCA’s progress and expressed satisfaction with the steps taken so far. The letter by the Home Department highlights four key conditions: full implementation of the Cunha committee recommendations, adherence to all requirements for hosting international matches, cooperation with monitoring authorities who will periodically review progress, and the possibility of revisiting the approval if work deviates from the stipulated framework.
With civil works still underway, the government has deferred a decision on spectator capacity. The stadium currently accommodates around 33,000 spectators, but this figure will be reassessed once construction is completed.
Even as uncertainty persists over whether RCB can host all home games in Bengaluru, at least three other IPL franchises are understood to have expressed interest in staging a few matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.