BCCI Awaits Election Dates to Finalize IPL 2026 Schedule; Venues for RCB, RR in Focus

Elections will soon be held across various states in India, but the BCCI is awaiting the government's announcement of the dates for the Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal polls. While the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati hosts some of the Rajasthan Royals' home games, the MA Chidambaram Stadium and Eden Gardens are home venues for the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

"We are working on the IPL schedule, but we are still awaiting the announcement of the election dates by the Election Commission. Once those dates are confirmed, we will be able to draw up a schedule that does not disrupt the election process or clash with matches in the poll-bound states, ensuring smooth conduct of both," a BCCI source told IANS.

Last week, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) received approval to host IPL and international cricket matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru again, but the permission was 'subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the government and concerned authorities.'

"As far as the home venues of RCB and RR are concerned, we have asked the franchises to take a final call and inform us within a week. Once the teams finalise their venues, we will prepare the schedule accordingly. So, at this stage, we are waiting for the teams' decisions as well as the announcement of the election dates," the source further said.

The formal approval for marquee cricket fixtures to return to the venue has ended months of uncertainty after the stadium was taken off the cricketing calendar following a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 title-winning celebrations on June 4, when eleven people were killed, while 56 people suffered injuries.

In its aftermath, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shifted several major events away from the Chinnaswamy Stadium, including the Duleep Trophy, the India-South Africa men's A series, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the 2025 ICC Women's ODI World Cup, including the final.

Hosting matches at the ground again was subject to the implementation of recommendations from the Justice Michael D'Cunha report, which was formed as part of the investigation into the tragedy.

The KSCA also endured administrative upheaval, operating without a treasurer and secretary for months after both resigned, citing moral responsibility for the tragedy. Last year, the Venkatesh Prasad-led panel took charge and began acting on its first priority: bringing matches back to the iconic cricketing venue.

With the state government's clearance now secured, it would be interesting to see if RCB will play all of its IPL 2026 home games in Chinnaswamy, considering that its vice-president Rajesh Menon met Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai for playing two games at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Naya Raipur.

RR's home venue issue for IPL 2026 stems from administrative problems within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The BCCI has warned the franchise that it might need a backup venue, such as Pune's MCA Stadium, as Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium faces uncertainty due to the RCA's failure to hold elections, which is affecting the smooth hosting of matches, despite the RCA's efforts to retain Jaipur as the venue.

And hence, the Indian cricketing board is waiting for RCB and RR to decide their venues before finalising the IPL schedule.

- IANS