I visited the cricket stadium, nah! the cricket playground at Manasagangothri where this year’s Maharaja Trophy, formerly known as the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), is limping along. It was a depressing sight. 

Once again, our politicians have proved that they can deny us even the simplest joys of life like watching a cricket match. Worse, they may be turning Karnataka cricket into a corpse.

The Maharaja Trophy was just gaining traction and was expected to ride the wave of RCB’s IPL victory, attracting fresh fans, sponsors and buzz. Instead, it has been chased out of its rightful home, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, along with its fans, leaving Karnataka cricket gasping for breath.

The reason? The tragic June 4 stampede.

Following the incident, the Justice (Retd.) Michael D’Cunha Commission declared Karnataka cricket’s nerve-centre “unsafe for mass gatherings” in its present state. The Police promptly refused permission for                               the tournament.

But here’s the obvious question: If Chinnaswamy was unsafe, was it not unsafe for the last 56 years when this stadium hosted World Cups, Test matches and IPL matches? The problem is not inside the Stadium, it’s outside.

The Chief Minister yesterday said, “There was mass hysteria around RCB’s victory even though it’s not Karnataka’s official team and has only two State players.” Fair point, but…

 Then why did his government host a felicitation ceremony in front of Vidhana Soudha? Why did his Deputy CM rush to the airport to garland the players?

They basked in RCB’s reflected glory, threw caution to the wind and when tragedy struck, it is the fans and cricketers who pay the price.

If banning events is the government’s knee-jerk solution to crowd mismanagement, then what next — shift Dasara to Nanjangud? Ban concerts at Palace Grounds? Shut down cinema halls during blockbusters?

Instead of consigning Karnataka cricket to irrelevance, why not make matches safer and smarter?

The problem is not Chinnaswamy Stadium; it is the way matches are organised: chaotic ticketing, lack of crowd control and poorly designed entry points. Fix these and the stampede problem disappears.

This is, in fact, a broader Indian failing. We never care about the “experience.” Whether it’s Dasara, a concert, a play, or a cricket match, we only care about the main spectacle. The rest, such as, how to get there, how to enter, how to leave, these are all an after thought — the “spectators” problem.

Contrast this with other countries, where the spectator journey is designed meticulously: from buying the ticket, to entering the venue, to finding your seat, to leaving safely. It’s a sheer joy to go to an event, unlike here, which is a nightmare with traffic, undesignated parking, lack of proper gate signage, crowded exits etc.

Perhaps, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) could implement multiple official ticket counters across the city to prevent black-marketing and crowding along the busy stadium road, smarter entry gates with digital validation to speed up access, better gate signage and change the location of the gate itself away from the main road.

There is also another social aspect to spectator sport and public events. They are not mere entertainment, they are community glue. They bring strangers together in collective joy.  Something society badly needs in these times of digital isolation and obsession.

Then events like the Maharaja Trophy also serve another purpose — inspiration. Maharaja Trophy may not have the glitz of the IPL, but apart from giving local talent a chance, it also gives young fans a chance to see local heroes up close as the tickets are affordable and not high in demand.

These are the moments that inspire children to pick up a bat and dream. A banished tournament inspires nothing but resentment and right now any cricket fan will resent what the politicians and KSCA have done to                             Karnataka cricket.

Of course, there are whispers of more sinister motives — Is this a ruse to grab Chinnaswamy’s prime land, just as the government has its eyes on the Bangalore Turf Club? Or is it political pressure to force KSCA to open new memberships so netas can muscle in? Let’s hope these are only rumours.

But one truth is undeniable: cricket can survive a dead pitch, but it cannot survive a dead stadium. Empty stands are a death knell for any sport.

For now, the ball is in KSCA’s court. KSCA is not short of funds, it is short of imagination and urgency.

There seems to be more politicking in KSCA than cricketing off late. Will they rise above this and give fans a safe, hassle-free experience, or will they let Karnataka cricket die a slow, silent death?

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