New Delhi: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajeev Shukla told IANS that the board is waiting for the government to announce the election dates before finalising the schedule for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Shukla also stated that Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been asked to decide their home venue by the end of this week.
Elections will soon be conducted across various states in India, but the BCCI is waiting for the government to declare the dates for Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal polls. While the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati plays host to 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 government’s announcement of the election dates. 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,” BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla told IANS.
Last week, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) received a nod 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,” he added.
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)
