Govt. nods to hosting international and IPL matches

Bengaluru: Finally, after months of uncertainty, the Karnataka State Government has granted permission to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host international and IPL matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Home Department gave the go-ahead to conduct matches after examining the report submitted by a Government-appointed task force, which found the security enhancement works at the venue satisfactory.

In a press release, KSCA Official Spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, said, “We are pleased to inform you that the Home Department, Government of Karnataka, has granted permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host international and IPL matches at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.”

“The permission is subject to compliance with specific terms and conditions prescribed by the Government and the concerned authorities. KSCA is confident of fulfilling all the stipulated conditions. The Association has already presented a detailed compliance roadmap before the Expert Review Committee and remains fully committed to implementing all safety, security and crowd-management measures in letter and spirit,” he added.

It may be recalled that all cricketing activities at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was stopped following the death of 11 persons in a stampede during the RCB IPL victory celebrations since June 4 last year. Chinnaswamy Swamy stadium lost on hosting matches in the Maharaja T20, the Women’s World Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Last week, Rajesh Menon, RCB’s COO, held a meeting with the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister over the possibility of the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur staging their home matches in 2026. The MCA Stadium in Pune and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, which has already hosted their matches to packed crowds in three of the four Women’s Premier League seasons, are two other venues under consideration. RCB, on Friday last, proposed to install 300-350 AI-enabled cameras for better crowd management, committing to bear a one-time cost of INR 4.5 crore.

KSCA’s primary challenge is to ensure all the new safety precautions are in place within the next few weeks. The IPL is set to begin on Mar. 26, with RCB playing the opening game since they are the defending champions. However, the BCCI is yet to announce the tournament schedule or the venue of the season opener as they are awaiting an official confirmation from RCB.