New Delhi, Jan 21 (NationPress) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently waiting for the Election Commission to announce the election dates before they can finalize the schedule for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, as per sources from IANS. It has been reported that both the Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been requested to confirm their home venues by the end of this week.

With elections approaching in various states across India, the BCCI is specifically looking for announcements regarding the dates for polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati hosts some of the home games for Rajasthan Royals, while the MA Chidambaram Stadium and Eden Gardens serve as home venues for the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

“We are currently in the process of drafting the IPL schedule, but we are still waiting for the election dates from the Election Commission. Once those dates are confirmed, we can create a schedule that avoids disrupting the election process and ensures no clashes with matches in the poll-bound states, allowing both events to proceed smoothly,” stated a source from BCCI to IANS.

Recently, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) received the go-ahead to host IPL and international matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, although this approval is subject to meeting specific terms and conditions set by the government and relevant authorities.

“Regarding the home venues for both RCB and RR, we have instructed the franchises to come to a final decision and inform us within a week. Once the teams confirm their venues, we will finalize the schedule accordingly. At this stage, we are waiting for their decisions as well as the election date announcement,” the source added.

The recent formal approval for marquee cricket events to return to the venue has resolved months of uncertainty following a tragic incident during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 title celebrations on June 4, which resulted in the loss of eleven lives and injuries to fifty-six others.

In the wake of this tragedy, the BCCI relocated several major events from Chinnaswamy Stadium, including the Duleep Trophy, India–South Africa men’s A series, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, including its final.

Hosting matches at the venue once more was contingent upon the enforcement of recommendations from the Justice Michael D’Cunha report, which was commissioned to investigate the incident.

The KSCA has also faced administrative challenges, managing without a treasurer and secretary for months due to their resignations in light of the tragedy. Last year, a panel led by Venkatesh Prasad took charge and prioritized restoring matches to the iconic cricket venue.

With the state government’s approval now in hand, it will be intriguing to see if RCB will hold all its IPL 2026 home games at Chinnaswamy, especially since its vice-president, Rajesh Menon, met with Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai about playing two matches at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Naya Raipur.

RR’s home venue issue for IPL 2026 arises from administrative troubles within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The BCCI has warned the franchise that it may need a backup venue, such as Pune's MCA Stadium, as the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur faces uncertainty due to the RCA's failure to conduct elections, which is impacting the smooth hosting of matches despite the RCA's efforts to maintain Jaipur as the venue.

Thus, the Indian cricketing board is in a holding pattern, waiting for RCB and RR to finalize their venues before proceeding with the IPL schedule.