Written by Soham ShahPune | Updated: November 12, 2025 12:47 PM IST 3 min readRCB won its first IPL trophy in 2025 after an 18-year wait on June 3, by beating Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad. (File Photo)The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune is in talks with Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to host its home matches in the upcoming season.Bengaluru’s iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium has been embroiled in controversy after a stampede on June 4 that led to the deaths of 11 people during the victory celebration of RCB’s first-ever IPL win. The stadium was removed from the list of hosts for the recently concluded Women’s World Cup as well.Kamlesh Pisal, honorary secretary of the MCA, told The Indian Express, “We are in discussions (with RCB) but they have not confirmed yet. They are looking into other venues, and we have been in discussions with them. But they will only be able to confirm after the (player) auction. A couple of technical things need to be sorted out. We are in discussion with (vice-president and head of RCB) Rajesh Menon.”Pisal said the auction is expected to take place in December and the venue should be finalised by the second half of December. When asked if it was likely that Pune would get to host the matches, Pisal said, “Yes, because the most ideal location for them, after Bengaluru, is Pune. Airport, hotel accommodation logistics, capacity of the ground, fan base, if you count everything.”One of the most popular teams in the league, RCB has featured Indian star Virat Kohli since the inaugural season. It won its first IPL trophy in 2025 after an 18-year wait on June 3, by beating Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad.The team announced on social media a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate its victory. However, the government refused permission due to security reasons. People crowded outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on the evening of June 4, which led to a stampede in which 11 people were killed and several others were injured.Investigations by a judicial panel found that RCB, an event management firm, and the Bengaluru city police were accountable for the lapses that led to the stampede. A committee tasked by the state government found the Chinnaswamy Stadium “unsafe” for large-scale events and recommended relocating such events to venues better suited for managing significant crowds.Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:RCB