Even as the Karnataka government has opened the door for a return of top-level cricket to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, uncertainty surrounds whether the venue will actually host Indian Premier League matches this season, and whether Royal Challengers Bengaluru will return to their long-time home.

RCB have welcomed the government's conditional approval and acknowledged the Karnataka State Cricket Association's (KSCA) ongoing infrastructure work, but the franchise has stopped short of confirming the Chinnaswamy as its home venue for the 2026 season. Citing unresolved "grey areas" around safety conditions and stakeholder responsibilities, RCB have indicated that a final decision will only be taken after further deliberations.

In a statement, RCB said: "We welcome Karnataka Government's decision to allow matches to be held in the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium and we also recognise and highly appreciate KSCA's efforts in the ongoing infrastructure work that has led to this conditional approval to host matches.

"While our desire is always to play at our home ground, in front of our ardent fans, we want to be thorough in our commitment to further understand the conditions applicable to host matches here and the measures taken to ensure fans safety protocols are met. Our goal is to see how best all stakeholders involved can work together.

"We have repeatedly stated that fans are the heart and soul of RCB, we have always had a fans-first approach, and we want to work together to ensure they have the best and safe experience. From our preliminary conversations, there are still a few grey areas that need to be looked into, and we are considering these parameters and inputs from all stakeholders before arriving at a responsible decision for the team and our fans."

RCB's guarded stance stands in contrast to the confidence exuded by the KSCA, which believes it has already crossed a major hurdle. The KSCA is moving at a swift pace with restructuring activities at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, based on the recommendations of the Justice John Michael D'Cunha Committee that was constituted following the tragic stampede incident in June 2025. Last week, the association received a conditional approval from the Karnataka government to resume hosting high-profile matches, including the IPL and international fixtures, at the iconic Bengaluru venue.

Addressing the media on Wednesday (January 21), KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad described the clearance as the result of an intense 45-day effort by the newly elected managing committee, involving sustained engagement with multiple government agencies. He said the approval would not have come through had the authorities not been convinced about the timelines and the feasibility of the safety upgrades proposed at the stadium.