Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) will play two home matches in Raipur during IPL 2026, following the ruling that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is unsafe.
RCB will play two IPL 2026 home matches in Raipur. The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister confirmed the move. The franchise shifts venues after Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium was ruled unsafe. Safety concerns follow a deadly stampede during the 2025 title celebrations. The incident claimed 11 lives during a victory parade.
An independent panel later withdrew hosting rights from the stadium. The decision also affected the 2025 Women’s World Cup and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. RCB therefore plans multiple temporary home venues for the season. Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium will host two fixtures. Raipur last staged an IPL game in 2013, when Delhi Capitals played Kolkata Knight Riders.
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The confirmation came after discussions with RCB’s chief executive. The development ends weeks of uncertainty despite assurances from the new KSCA leadership. RCB won their first IPL title in 2025 after a 17-year wait.
“We spoke to the RCB CEO (Rajesh Menon) today. He came to meet us. We have decided that two IPL matches will happen here(Raipur),” Chattisgarh CM Vishnu Sai said in a public announcement.
Meanwhile, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is set to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s remaining home fixtures this season. Reports suggest the venue will stage five matches after RCB moved away from Bengaluru.
In a related development, the Rajasthan Royals are also likely to relocate their home matches to Pune’s MCA Stadium. The shift follows the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s failure to complete its election process.
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