Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 3 (ANI): The president of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Venkatesh Prasad, expressed happiness at defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s Indian Premier League (IPL) matches returning to their home venue of M Chinnaswamy Stadium, calling it 'bigger than his five-wicket haul against England at Lord's.'

RCB are all set to return to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with five of their home games confirmed to take place in Bengaluru this 2026 IPL season. Their games at home were under a cloud of uncertainty due to a stampede that took place after the team's maiden IPL win last year during the victory celebrations, and the venue missed out on hosting matches of the state's T20 competition, the Maharaja Trophy and the ICC Women's World Cup fixtures as well. Bengaluru also did not get any fixtures for the ongoing T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

This significant development comes after months of hard work and close coordination across all concerned authorities with a common goal of bringing the games back to home ground for the fans, according to RCB. The remaining two home matches of their IPL 2026 campaign will be staged at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur as per prior commitment.

Speaking after this massive development, Venkatesh said, 'Royal Challengers Bengaluru team has finally confirmed that they're going to play this year's IPL 2026 here in Bengaluru...It is a huge achievement for me. This is much bigger than my five-wicket haul against England at Lord's (five-wicket haul at Lord's is a massive achievement for bowlers)...It is a complete team effort from this Managing Committee for us to achieve what we have achieved in less than three months'

'RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru. The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground,' a statement from RCB stated.

Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said, 'The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground; it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive. The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home.'

'After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible,' Menon said. (ANI)