With a few months left for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Rajasthan Royals (RR) are reported to be planning to shift their home matches out of Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Due to the conflicts with the state association, the inaugural season champions are considering making a move to Pune for the forthcoming 19th season of the league.
On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) also approached the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) to host their home games. The reigning champions took an unconventional route when the Karnataka government banned the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium from hosting any competitive games.
With RR and RCB targeting the same alternative venue (MCA Stadium in Pune), the off-field rivalry between these two teams ignites ahead of the IPL 2026.
RR’s Strained Relationship with the State Association
Ever since the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) official claimed false accusations of RR’s involvement in the previous season’s spot fixing, the franchise’s relationship with the state association has continued to deteriorate day by day.
As RR is determined to use Pune as one of their homeground, the operations team visited the city to explore the best stadiums, hotels, and available airports over there. If everything goes well according to the plan, then RR will play its four home games in Pune and the remaining four in Guwahati.
RCB’s Homeground Unsafe to Host Key Events?
There are higher chances that RCB might shift their home matches from Bengaluru to Pune. This is because the Karnataka government deemed the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium to be risky for hosting high-profile matches after the stampede incident earlier this year, in June.
RCB’s victory parade at their homeground to honor their maiden IPL trophy win ended with the tragic death of 11 fans outside the stadium, while several others were severely injured.
Also, several reports claimed that the architectural layout and built environment of the Chinnaswamy Stadium were inadequate and dangerous to invite a massive number of spectators.
MCA Keen to Host IPL Matches
An MCA official revealed that the entire association is hopeful to invite IPL matches back to the city. Here is the official statement quoted by the Cricbuzz team:
“Yeah! We are here to gather the necessary details such as the stadium capacity, pitch nature, and hotels in the city. Our association president, Mr. Rohit Pawar, feels enthusiastic about IPL’s return to the city, and he is trying his level best to ensure the matches are successfully hosted,” the MCA official said.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune hosted the last IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers back on May 14, 2022, when the league was limited to five cities across India. However, the playoffs that year were held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Earlier, the MCA stadium hosted the home matches of the currently defunct Rising Pune Supergiants back in IPL 2016 and 2017. In the past three seasons (in 2023, 2024, and 2025), none of the IPL matches were played at this venue.
Will RCB Relocate Its Home Games to Pune?
The MCA official, furthermore, said that so far there has been no confirmation about the relocation of RCB’s home matches:
“No! There is no guarantee that RCB will relocate despite their interest being genuine. Suppose any such move is made, a lot depends on the hosting factors,” the MCA official added.
As the Royal Challengers are seeking some time for the best alternatives, they have yet to give their full commitment.
RR or RCB: Guaranteed Deal Worthy for MCA than a Risky chase?
While the Rajasthan Royals are ready to finalize the deal, the bigger brand value of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, added with more uncertainty, leaves MCA in a state of dilemma.
Currently, Pune is trapped between the sword and shield of two noteworthy IPL brands. However, the final decision will purely depend on how instantly the Royals officially confirm their shift.
Although RCB’s brand value can bolster the revenue, denying RR’s request could result in losing multiple opportunities to host IPL matches after several years.
The MCA official clarified that the association would prefer proceeding with what’s certain rather than chasing behind for risky and unguaranteed opportunities.
Also Read: WPL 2026 Auction Updates: Costliest Buys, RTMs, New Signings, and Teams’ Purse Remaining!
Final Thoughts
So far, the discussions between the MCA and RCB haven’t progressed to the advanced stages. Also, the defending champions have asked for some time to make a proper decision before the IPL 2026 auction in December.
At the same time, it remains to be seen if RCB can fix their troubles at home or not before the commencement of the next IPL season.
Suppose the Karnataka government denies matches at Chinnaswamy, the Royal Challengers would be left with no option rather to show interest in the MCA stadium as the replacement venue.
