MI Reportedly Denied RCB Permission to Use DY Patil Stadium in IPL 2026

MI's Wankhede Stadium is located just 56 kilometers from RCB's proposed DY Patil venue, with both stadiums situated within the same region.

MI Reportedly Denied RCB Permission to Use DY Patil Stadium in IPL 2026

MI have reportedly refused to allow RCB to play their home games at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. (via Inside Sport)

In Short
  • Mumbai Indians have denied Royal Challengers Bengaluru permission to use DY Patil Stadium for IPL 2026 home matches.
  • RCB is seeking alternative venues after M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was deemed unsafe for high-profile games.
  • MI has suggested RCB explore non-IPL venues, citing concerns over home territory advantages.

Ahead of the 2026 IPL season, tensions seem to persist between the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Reports indicate that MI has refused to allow RCB to use the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai as a venue for their home matches during the upcoming season.

RCB’s hunt for an IPL 2026 venue has been long enough, even since the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was deemed ‘unsafe’ by a judicial commission. It was set up in the aftermath of the tragic stampede outside the venue on June 4, 2025, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. Until the stadium undergoes major structural renovations, it is set to remain out of use for high-profile games.

While Chinnaswamy Stadium lost its hosting rights for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the Karnataka government has granted it conditional permission to return to the calendar. However, a final decision has yet to be made on whether the stadium will host RCB’s home matches during the 2026 IPL season, with the state government currently reviewing the upgradation process. This prompted the reigning champions to look for alternative home venues.

RCB had been contemplating playing five home games at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, but a new complication has emerged. Recent reports claim that the Mumbai Indians have denied permission for the RCB to play at the Navi Mumbai venue and have asked them to ‘exhaust’ all their remaining options. A source informed that a team would require substantial approval to set up a new home base at a location that is in close proximity to another team’s existing base.

MI have reportedly urged the Royal Challengers to look towards other non-IPL cricketing venues, including Rajkot, Pune, Raipur, Vizag and Indore. Additionally, reports suggest that MI believe allowing RCB to use the DY Patil Stadium would undermine the ‘sanctity’ of home-city advantage. They warned that this could lead to other teams requesting to host matches at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium in the future.

With the DY Patil Stadium out of the list now, Indore’s Holkar Stadium might emerge as the front-runner to host RCB’s 2026 IPL home games. The Rajat Patidar-led franchise is also said to have engaged in discussions over leasing the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur. 

Manchester United owners eye blockbuster $1.8 billion takeover of defending IPL champions RCB

Ahead of the 2026 IPL season, a new business entity may acquire RCB in a major deal, as current owner Diageo has put the team up for sale. Avram Glazer, co-owner of the English football club Manchester United, is reported to have submitted a bid of over $1.8 billion.

RCB new owners Avram Glazer
Manchester United owner Avram Glazer is interested in acquiring RCB. (via NDTV Sports)

A total of eight investors have made the shortlist, to buy RCB, whose men’s and women’s teams are in fact, the current champions of the IPL and WPL, respectively. Among the many bidders, the biggest ones include Lancer Capital, owned by US-based businessman and Manchester United owner Avram Glazer, Serum Institute of India owner Adar Poonawalla, and US-based cricket enthusiast Sanjay Govil. 

Glazer has reportedly tabled an offer worth $1.8 billion (INR 16,300 crores) to acquire a majority stake in Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Lancer Capital had failed to secure an IPL team in 2021, after being out-bidded to buy the Lucknow and Gujarat franchises. Avram Glazer owns a franchise in the UAE-based ILT20 league, Desert Vipers, who emerged victorious during the recently-concluded 2025 season. 

Lancer Capital has also submitted a bid to acquire Rajasthan Royals, whose current owners, Manoj Badale, Lachlan Murdoch, and RedBird Capital, have put it up for sale. The shortlist of five potential buyers for RR includes Kal Somani, Govil, and The Times of India Group.

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