BCCI likely to change venue of Bengaluru ICC Women’s WC matches to another city: sources

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to change the venue for ICC Women’s World Cup matches initially allotted to M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to some other city in the aftermath of the stampede which occurred outside the celebration just a day after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team’s maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win, as per sources.

As per sources, the final decision on the venue could come during this weekend. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is facing the risk of losing its Women’s World Cup fixtures after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) missed the August 10 deadline set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to obtain police clearance for hosting the games, as per ESPNcricinfo.

In case Bengaluru is ruled out, the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is being discussed as a possible replacement venue. As per the current schedule, Bengaluru is set to host the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, followed by England vs South Africa (October 3), India vs Bangladesh (October 26), the second semi-final on October 30, and possibly the final on November 2. The tournament will start from September 30 itself.

However, the Greenfield Stadium is already slated to host the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) from August 21 to September 7. Sources in the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) have indicated that they have a contingency plan to shift the KCL to another venue if the World Cup matches are moved there.

According to ICC rules, host venues must be handed over to the organisers at least one month before the tournament begins. That means the BCCI and ICC will have to make a decision within a week, especially as Thiruvananthapuram is also in line to host World Cup warm-up matches on September 25 and 27.

The police commissioner’s office has confirmed that as of Monday, the KSCA had not received the required permissions for the Chinnaswamy Stadium. This was the same day the ICC marked the 50-day countdown to the tournament in Mumbai. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is facing the risk of losing its Women’s World Cup fixtures after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) missed the August 10 deadline set by the BCCI to obtain police clearance for hosting the games.

Currently, the KSCA is conducting the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament in Mysuru, after it had to shift matches from Chinnaswamy due to the lack of police clearance, despite offering to play behind closed doors.

As a last resort, the KSCA is exploring the possibility of staging the World Cup matches at the stadium with reduced spectator capacity. It is not yet known whether the BCCI will accept such a proposal, particularly since the stadium is also the designated venue for the final if Pakistan do not qualify.

The KSCA’s troubles began on June 4, when a tragic stampede near the stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 victory parade claimed 11 lives and left over 50 injured.

Following the incident, KSCA secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam resigned, citing moral responsibility. A state government-appointed committee later declared the Chinnaswamy Stadium “unsafe” for large gatherings and recommended that major events be shifted to venues better equipped to handle big crowds.

This uncertainty has also thrown the plans of several teams into doubt, as many had intended to base themselves in Bengaluru to make use of multiple practice facilities, including the KSCA’s ground in Alur, ahead of the tournament. (ANI)