RCB, Rajasthan Royals given deadline to confirm IPL home venues amid schedule delay

RCB, RR given deadline by IPL [Source: @GarhManmohan/X.com]

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, the governing council is facing multiple challenges with venue uncertainty, government regulations and election schedules, as all factors are affecting preparations for the new season. 

Franchises have been asked to make key decisions quickly, while the BCCI waits for clarity on external factors before releasing the final fixture list. Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are right at the centre of this situation.

RCB and RR face a deadline on home venues

Rajasthan Royals and defending champions, RCB, have reportedly been asked to confirm by January 27 whether they can host IPL matches in Jaipur and Bengaluru, respectively. 

According to Abhishek Tripathi, the deadline was issued during the IPL Governing Council meeting, as the BCCI looks to finalise venues ahead of the season.

For the Rajasthan Royals, Jaipur has traditionally been their home base. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium has hosted several successful IPL seasons, and RR have strong local support there. 

The franchise has fewer concerns compared to RCB and is expected to stick with Jaipur, provided logistics and security clearances are in place. 

RCB’s situation is more complex. While the franchise publicly maintains that it wants to host matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, internal concerns remain. 

A new law passed by the Karnataka government has made event organisers responsible for any incident that occurs on roads surrounding the venue. This has made RCB’s owners cautious about hosting matches in Bengaluru, especially after the stampede tragedy.

There are also operational issues. Reports suggest that designated parking areas for emergency services have been used for match-day entertainment setups, raising further safety concerns. Because of this, RCB are exploring backup options away from Bengaluru.

Alternate venues and wider IPL hosting plans

As a contingency, RCB are considering hosting five home matches at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium and two in Raipur. 

However, IPL rules require a franchise to obtain a No Objection Certificate from the local team if it wants to host matches in another franchise’s city. 

This means RCB will need approval from the Mumbai Indians to use DY Patil as a home venue.  

Raipur has emerged as another option, having previously hosted IPL games successfully. The BCCI is keeping these options open as it prepares for multiple scenarios.

The league is also expected to use several neutral and additional venues this season. Places such as Dharamshala, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, or Thiruvananthapuram have been considered as alternatives.

Election delay and IPL schedule uncertainty

The IPL schedule has been delayed due to pending election announcements in Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal. As per standard practice, the BCCI avoids scheduling matches during election periods due to security deployment requirements.

Once election dates are confirmed, the final schedule is expected to be released quickly. The IPL could be played across a wide list of cities, including Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Pune, Ranchi and Navi Mumbai.

With franchises under pressure to confirm venues and the board balancing logistics, security and politics, the road to IPL kickoff remains busy. Clear decisions in the coming days will shape how smoothly the season unfolds.