Pune, Nov 12 (IANS) The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune is in discussions with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to host its IPL 2026 home matches for the upcoming season, confirmed secretary Adv. Kamlesh Pisal on Wednesday.

RCB’s trophy-winning celebrations in Bengaluru took a tragic turn on June 4, when a stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives ahead of the victory celebrations. Following that tragic incident, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t hosted a cricket game, and lost out on hosting the recently concluded 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, including the final.

With uncertainty surrounding the venue hosting games in Bengaluru, Pune has now thrown its hat in the mix amongst other yet to be known venues to host RCB’s home games in IPL 2026.

“It’s a very simple thing because RCB has a problem of hosting games in Bengaluru because of that stampede thing. Now, we came to know through a reliable source that they are looking out for a venue.

“So now, since there is no home team for Pune, we offered them that we have the best facilities and that previously Chennai Super Kings had their (home) games here (in 2018). So we have offered them that we are ready to host games, our infrastructure is ready.

“We can do the best for the cricket games here, and infrastructure and logistics-wise, Pune is ideal. Even in the Covid-19 times, 15 matches were held by us in IPL 2022, when there were only three venues for the league stage,” Pisal told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.

Pisal added that the first round of talks with RCB, who won their maiden IPL title earlier this year, was done and that more formal communication will happen after the mini auction, to be held in Abu Dhabi in mid-December, is over.

“We have our staff and sufficient experience as well as infrastructure available. So we offered them the venue and then we had a one round of meeting with their CEO (Praveen Someshwar). Now, only thing is they will finalize it only after the player auction, which will happen in mid-December. So after the auction, we will get a formal communication from the RCB side,” he said.

Apart from hosting men’s international games and the Women’s T20 Challenge, the stadium had also been the home ground for Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Supergiant and Punjab Kings during IPL in various timelines of 2010s.

“The stadium at Gahunje is strategically located on the expressway and we get crowd from everywhere – the main Pune city, as well as from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, as they are hardly one and a half hours away from here. Economically, of course, it makes a difference and impact.

“The Hinjewadi IT Park is well connected and is in the vicinity of the stadium. So a lot of IT crowd will also come to see the games. Plus, we have a lot of good branded hotels around and all of that will benefit hugely if IPL 2026 comes to Pune. With the ground that we have, the more matches we get, the better it is for all,” added Pisal.

–IANS

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