Mumbai Indians (MI) have officially declined to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The move prevents defending champions from using DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai as one of their temporary home grounds for IPL 2026 season.
Why RCB Need MI’s Permission?
Under IPL governing rules, if a franchise wishes to host “home” matches in a city that already serves as the base for another team, they must obtain formal approval from the local franchise.
Since Wankhede Stadium (MI’s home) and DY Patil Stadium are both in Mumbai metropolitan region, MI holds the “territorial rights.” This rule exists to prevent the dilution of a local team’s fan base and ticket revenue by another franchise.
Reason for denial
Reports indicate that Mumbai Indians’ management was not convinced that RCB had explored all other possibilities. MI reportedly argued that allowing RCB to set up a home base in Navi Mumbai would set a “wrong precedent.”
“Why only DY Patil and not any other stadium in the country? There are plenty. MI is of the opinion that RCB must exhaust other options before coming to DY Patil. There are so many non-IPL centres in the country,” a source claimed.
“There are established centres like Rajkot, Pune, Raipur, Vizag and Indore. The current situation is simple, if MI says yes to DY Patil then tomorrow some other team can come and express desire to host their matches at Brabourne. It kills the sanctity of home territories. And there needs to be a strong reasoning in place why RCB is not ready to play at these centres and only interested in DY Patil,” the source added.
Why is RCB moving away from Bengaluru?
The search for a new venue stems from tragic stampede in June 2025 outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s title celebrations, which claimed 11 lives.
Safety Concerns: The franchise is hesitant to return to the iconic venue until massive safety upgrades – recommended by Justice D’Cunha committee – are completed.
Karnataka government has granted conditional clearance, but RCB is reportedly unhappy with being held “liable” for administrative duties outside stadium gates.
Where Will RCB Play Now?
With DY Patil off the table, reigning champions RCB are looking at a split home season:
Raipur: RCB has reportedly finalized talks to host two matches at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Indore: Following the MI veto, Indore has emerged as the frontrunner to host the remaining five matches.
Chinnaswamy: Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is still pushing for a last-minute return to Bengaluru, with a major inspection scheduled for later this week.
