Screw on IPL opening ceremony (Photo: PTI)

IPL 2026 Opening Ceremony: Currently, there is a cloud of crisis over the opening ceremony of IPL and this has happened because of RCB. You will say how, the answer is - the ongoing controversy regarding RCB's home ground Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is reported that due to that controversy, the Governing Council of IPL has not yet reached any conclusion regarding the opening ceremony. According to IPL rules, the first and last matches of the new season are played at the home ground of the defending champion. In such a situation, the opening ceremony is also done on the same ground. But, the controversy that has arisen regarding the new law of the Karnataka government has created a situation of confusion.

Shadow of RCB controversy over opening ceremony

According to media reports, RCB has not yet received permission from the Karnataka government to hold the match at Chinnaswamy Stadium. This happened due to the stampede that broke out during RCB's victory procession after becoming IPL champion last year. After 11 people lost their lives in that accident, any kind of activity in the stadium was banned. The effect of that is that now a problem has arisen regarding the opening ceremony of IPL 2026.

2 suggestions came forward regarding the opening ceremony

Seeing that the dispute over RCB's home ground Chinnaswamy Stadium is not resolved, the question is where will the opening ceremony of IPL 2026 be held again? According to the report of Dainik Jagran, two suggestions have been received regarding this in the IPL Governing Council meeting. The first is that if matches are not held at Chinnaswamy, then in that case RCB can play the opening match at DY Patil Stadium and the opening ceremony should also be held there. The second suggestion is that it should be held in Mullanpur, the home ground of last season's runner-up Punjab Kings.

RCB has deadline till 27th January

According to the report, a meeting was held between RCB and Karnataka government on January 21 to resolve the Chinnaswamy dispute. However, what was the conclusion of that meeting is not known. BCCI has given a deadline of January 27 to RCB to take a final decision on whether to hold the match at Chinnaswamy Stadium or not.