After months of uncertainty, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been granted permission to host matches during the upcoming IPL 2026 season by the Karnataka government. Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made the announcement on X on Thursday (February 12): "In the interest of the sport and its fans, the Cabinet today has taken an important decision to permit the conduct of IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium, while keeping public safety paramount." "The rules regarding ticketing, crowd control, and stadium access will be strictly adhered to as the recommendations of the Justice John Michael D'Cunha Report are put into action. We proceed with accountability and responsibility. In the wake of the stampede that ensued during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory parade a day after their maiden IPL title triumph in June 2025, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was deemed unsafe. Since then, the ground has not hosted a cricket match, with high-profile events like the ICC Women's ODI World Cup being moved there at the last minute. RCB were on the lookout for a different location because there had been persistent doubts about its readiness to host IPL 2026 matches. They were also said to have written a letter to the Mumbai Indians, asking them to use the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai instead. The franchise suggested installing AI-enabled surveillance cameras at Chinnaswamy to facilitate better crowd management in the future. Since the state government has given the go-ahead, it is now up to RCB to decide whether or not to hold their home games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. As per the norm, the defending champion holds the right to host the subsequent IPL final.