KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad and other officials at a meeting chaired by Home Minister G. Parameshwara to discuss hosting of cricket matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday.
The newly formed administration of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), headed by former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, has approached the state government for permission to host Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, raising hopes among cricket fans.
However, the state government took a cautious approach and decided to consider holding matches without spectators following a joint review by several ministries.
If the inspection report gives the green signal, the stadium will host the match between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, which is scheduled to be played on December 24. Notably, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) announced a star-studded squad with Virat Kohli captained by Rishabh Pant.
According to the order accessed by The Hindu, the committee comprises GBA Chief Commissioner, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Health Department Commissioner, Additional Director General of Police (Fire Services), BWSSB Director General and PWD Chief Engineer (South).
The committee will examine whether the KSCA has fulfilled the 17 conditions laid down by the Bengaluru police commissioner for permitting matches, according to the order. These conditions were based on a report submitted by Michael Cunha’s Justice Commission, which identified deficiencies in the stadium’s readiness to host matches. The state government tasked Justice Cunha to identify these issues after a stampede near the stadium on June 4 during RCB’s victory celebrations left 11 dead.
A well-placed source in the Home Ministry told The Hindu that it would be impossible for the newly formed administration to fulfill all the conditions immediately. However, the KSCA expressed its commitment to address the deficiencies and comply with the guidelines.
“To conduct matches with spectators, all 17 guidelines must be followed. But since the KSCA has asked for permission to conduct the match without an audience, the commission will check whether the main conditions ensuring the safety of the players have been met and report back,” the source said.
The officer added that since star players are participating in the match, there is a possibility of a crowd around the stadium and hence it is imperative to ensure that all security protocols are strictly followed. The decision will be taken by the Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday (23 December) based on the findings of a special committee.
KSCA’s response
“Today’s meeting with the committee went well. We have indicated that we will conduct the matches without spectators if the permission is granted. The tournament starts on Wednesday, so there is a shortage of time in terms of arranging logistics to accommodate the spectators. We only have a day, so it is difficult to set up ticketing processes and so on. We are waiting for the final order from the committee,” said KSCA spokesman Mr.
Mr Mruthunjaya added that the new KSCA management committee, which took office earlier this month, would implement all safety recommendations at the earliest. “We will definitely act on all the recommendations,” Mr Mruthunjaya added.
Published – 22 Dec 2025 22:05 IST
