A walk along the footpath near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium brings back memories of packed stands and roaring crowds. Passing a couple of towering peepal trees — one with sprawling roots that often force fans into careful manoeuvring during match days — it is easy to imagine the venue coming back to life. Around a week ahead of the IPL 2026 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the area remained largely quiet, but the anticipation of cricket’s return was unmistakable.
Nearly a year earlier, a tragic incident near the stadium had led to the loss of several lives. Now, under the stewardship of the Venkatesh Prasad-led Karnataka State Cricket Association, the iconic ground is ready to host matches once again. Visible changes include widened main gates — extended by six inches in width and nine inches in height — along with newly installed entry points and enhanced security arrangements.
Inside the venue, the subdued atmosphere of an almost empty stadium offered a different perspective. By approximately 5:30 pm, Royal Challengers Bengaluru players had begun their practice routines, while eagles circling overhead occasionally swooped close to the activity on the field.
Net Session Highlights
The practice session featured an engaging contrast in batting styles, particularly between Tim David and Jitesh Sharma. David, with his imposing 6’5″ frame, looked intent on stamping authority, repeatedly stepping forward to drive net bowlers straight down the ground. Short-pitched deliveries from the side-arm thrower were dispatched with force off the front foot.
Jitesh, meanwhile, showed composure against spin, making effective use of the crease depth to play off the back foot. When offered fuller balls, he responded with lofted strokes through the gap between mid-off and cover.
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David adopted a contrasting strategy against spin, often advancing down the pitch even to shorter deliveries and striking the ball powerfully back past the bowler. His approach to targeting straight boundaries frequently involved horizontal-bat shots, while he also looked to create scoring opportunities on the off side by playing beside the line of the ball.
Towards the latter part of the session, batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik was seen in discussion with Devdutt Padikkal, encouraging him to work on reverse hits and switch hits. Padikkal began with shadow practice before executing a few such strokes. He also faced left-arm pace from new recruit Mangesh Yadav. In neighbouring nets, Venkatesh Iyer focused on his range-hitting drills.
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who has gone without a half-century in his last ten domestic innings, struck several fluent shots through the ‘V’ and over midwicket, indicating encouraging signs with the bat.
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Notably absent from the session was Virat Kohli, the team’s experienced mainstay, while left-arm pacer Yash Dayal also did not feature amid ongoing off-field issues over the past several months.
As preparations continued, carpenters were spotted carrying out final adjustments near the main gate, signalling the last stages of readiness as the Chinnaswamy Stadium gears up to welcome top-flight cricket once more.
