An expert committee appointed by the Karnataka government will conduct a final inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 13 before granting approval for the venue to host matches in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Earlier this month, authorities had issued conditional approvals for the conduct of matches at the stadium, including IPL fixtures. However, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has expressed confidence that the venue will receive the final clearance following the inspection.

The KSCA has been carrying out extensive renovation work at the stadium in recent months. The upgrades include the installation of multiple new entry gates and the widening of several existing ones to improve crowd movement. Work has also focused on improving surrounding infrastructure, including the development of new walkways and a holding area near the old National Cricket Academy facility. In addition, new direct entry and exit routes have been created for emergency services.

The association had been given a deadline of March 15 to complete all short-term improvements recommended by the Justice D’Cunha Committee. The committee was constituted after the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory celebrations, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people. Following its appointment, the panel conducted a comprehensive safety and structural audit of the stadium.

Renovation work began in mid-December after KSCA elections in which former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad was elected president. His administration has been working closely with government officials to ensure that all required procedures and safety measures are met. KSCA has also confirmed that previously pending safety audit issues—one of the reasons the state electricity regulatory body had cut power supply to the venue last July—have now been resolved.

Earlier this month, KSCA confirmed that Royal Challengers Bengaluru would return to their home ground after weeks of discussions with stakeholders, including the state government.

To further improve crowd management, the franchise and KSCA are also in advanced talks with the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation. In addition, the team plans to introduce digital ticket verification through QR code scanning to enable smoother stadium entry and prevent overcrowding near ticket counters on match days.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin their IPL 2026 home campaign at the venue against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. They will then host Chennai Super Kings on April 5. These are the only two home matches scheduled at the stadium in the first phase of the tournament schedule released earlier this week.

Overall, RCB are expected to play five home matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this season, while two additional home games will be hosted at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.