IPL 2026: KSCA President Venkatesh Prasad will make sure RCB play at Chinnaswamy

On Sunday, December 7, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was chosen as the new president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in the elections. He won the KSCA presidency after beating opposition KN Shanth Kumar, as the former reigned supreme with 749 votes against the latter's 558.

Prasad was elated with the win, and believes that the victory is not only personal, but will also serve as a blessing for the return of high-profile cricket back at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The iconic venue has not seen the light of top-tier matches following the stampede incident on June 4 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory parade here.

"First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket. Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium," Prasad said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

We're going to do everything for the game: Prasad

Ahead of the elections, Prasad had been at the helm of immense backing by his former India and Karnataka teammates Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. He thanked the duo among all the others who supported for his win. In his manifesto, the 56-year-old has assured to bring the charm back to the association by reviving IPL and international matches at one of the most iconic landmarks in Indian cricket.

“We are sitting here only because of all these people who have supported us, who have believed in us, and backed us through and through. They believed in our purpose, in our cause, they had faith in us and so did the members. We are going to implement our manifesto, whatever we have said. So I thank you all for giving us an opportunity. And I am sure we are going to make sure that we do everything for the game,” Prasad said as per Deccan Herald.

For the unversed, Chinnaswamy lost its hosting rights for the 2025 Women's World Cup and was also ignored for the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup in 2026. RCB, who played their home games here, are also in talks with Maharashtra Cricket Association to host their fixtures for the IPL 2026 at the Gahunje Stadium in Pune.

Meanwhile, KSCA member and deputy chief minister of the state DK Shivakumar also said that the authorities will make sure that the RCB matches are not shifted out of Bengaluru. Shivakumar, who is a cricket fan himself, has assured that in addition to bringing back the reputation of Chinnaswamy, he will also get a new cricket stadium built in Bengaluru as an alternative.

"Will not allow IPL matches to be shifted out of Chinnaswamy stadium. This is a question of Bengaluru and Karnataka’s pride. We will ensure IPL matches are held here. I am a cricket fan. We will ensure that such incidents don’t recur in the future and uphold the reputation of the stadium. We will also build a new cricket stadium as an alternative," he wrote on X.