Virat Kohli and IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will, in all probability, not return to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the 2026 edition. Sources indicate that RCB are unwilling to stage their home matches in Bengaluru this season due to the negative publicity following a trophy celebration in the city that ended in a stampede, killing 11 and injuring several others. Bengaluru has been RCB’s home venue since the IPL’s inception in 2008.

So far, RCB has not approached the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to express interest in hosting its matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chhattisgarh’s Raipur is reportedly the front-runner to become RCB’s new ‘home,’ while Madhya Pradesh’s Indore is also in the race. With the IPL likely to start on March 21, the KSCA, led by Venkatesh Prasad, faces a race against time.

Notably, Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Delhi against Andhra Pradesh on December 24, 2025, was shifted from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium at the last moment.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune will host Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) home games in the 2026 IPL, sources said. RR’s decision to move away from the Sawai Mansingh Stadium stems from ongoing disagreements with the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), which escalated during IPL 2025 when an RCA official leveled match-fixing allegations against the franchise—allegations RR denied while calling for strict action against the individual.

The MCA Stadium in Pune has hosted men’s international matches in all formats, including the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup and the Women’s T20 Challenge. In the IPL, it has previously served as the home ground for Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, and Chennai Super Kings during the 2010s