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Pune Emerges as Leading Option for RCB’s IPL 2026 Home Games After Chinnaswamy Suspension

Talks hinge on technical clearances and the IPL auction timeline.

Overview

  • Mahashtra Cricket Association officials say they have offered the Gahunje stadium to RCB and are in preliminary discussions, but no agreement has been finalized.
  • Chinnaswamy Stadium remains sidelined after the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, with probes citing lapses by RCB, an event firm, and Bengaluru police and deeming the venue unsafe for large events.
  • Women’s World Cup fixtures were already shifted away from Bengaluru by the ICC and BCCI, signaling ongoing restrictions at the stadium.
  • MCA’s Kamlesh Pisal indicated confirmation is likely only after December’s player auction and once technical requirements are resolved, with talks involving RCB executive Rajesh Menon.
  • If Pune hosts RCB’s home slate, it would mark a rare full-season relocation for the franchise outside the 2009 South Africa season and the COVID-era shifts, while a separate sale process for the team is targeted to conclude by March 31, 2026.