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Bengaluru loses Women’s WC matches, Navi Mumbai new venue
Structural changes suggested at Chinnaswamy Stadium to improve public safety, KSCA fails to get security clearances
New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, announced a revised schedule for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, with Navi Mumbai replacing Bengaluru as one of the five venues. The decision comes in the wake of serious safety concerns surrounding the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium following the tragic stampede that happened around the venue on June 4 that claimed 11 lives.
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will now host five matches of the ODI World Cup, including three league-stage games — the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, and matches between England and South Africa (October 3), India and Bangladesh (October 26), the second semi-final on October 30, and possibly the final on November 2.
Bengaluru’s status as a host venue came under scrutiny after the Justice (Retd.) Michael D’Cunha Commission report declared the stadium “unsafe for mass gatherings” in its current condition. The ongoing investigation of the June 4 stampede outside the stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebrations and a related case being heard in the Karnataka High Court further impacted the stadium’s availability.
The judicial commission in its report had advised moving mass-gathering events to safer, better-equipped venues than M Chinnaswamy stadium. It said the design of the stadium was also flagged as unsafe for large gatherings. “All the entry and exit gates were directly opening into the public footpath… there were no organised holding areas,” the commission stated.
“Until such infrastructural changes are made, continuing to host high attendance events at the current location poses unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility and emergency preparedness,” the report had said.
BCCI had asked Karnataka State Cricket Association to obtain the necessary security clearances for the World Cup matches. However, the state unit was unable to do so by the August 10 deadline.
Citing the reasons for the matches not being held in Bengaluru, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Akshay M Hakay, said: “We suggested several improvements as part of the joint security review conducted by multiple agencies. These include adequate parking, holding areas for crowds, proper queue management with ticket checking and frisking, wider entry and exit gates for smooth movement, space for a triage centre, compliance with fire safety norms, dedicated emergency exits, and safe assembly points.”
He further added: “We also recommended food safety measures, installation of CCTV cameras, and a real-time crowd flow monitoring system to take timely steps in case of congestion. These measures were advised in the interest of public safety and to avoid any untoward incident.”
Since the incident, no matches have been held at the stadium. The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, initially set to take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium from August 11 to 28, was moved to Mysuru earlier this month.
A KSCA official speaking on condition of anonymity indicated that police permission was denied due to logistical challenges. KSCA President Raghuram Bhat and CEO Shubhendu Ghosh, however, chose not to comment on the matter.
With the tickets yet to go on sale for the marquee event that is less than five weeks away, the confirmation of the venues is a crucial step in finalising logistical arrangements for the event.
“Navi Mumbai has emerged as a genuine home for women’s cricket,” ICC president Jay Shah said in a statement. “While unforeseen circumstances required us to adjust the schedule and replace a venue, we are pleased to now have a line-up of five world-class venues that will showcase the very best of the women’s game.”
The DY Patil Stadium that can host up to 55,000 spectators last hosted a three-match Women’s T20I series between India and West Indies in December 2024. It also presented good crowd support for the women’s game when the first edition of the Women’s Premier League hosted eleven games in 2023.
Alongside Navi Mumbai, the other confirmed venues for the eight-team tournament include Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo. Pakistan will not travel to India and play their matches in Colombo. The India-Pakistan match will be held on October 5 at the R Premadasa Stadium.
According to the revised schedule, the final will be played on November 2 in either Colombo (if Pakistan qualify) or Navi Mumbai with the semi-finals set for October 29 (Guwahati or Colombo) and October 30 (Navi Mumbai).
