The marquee event is set to be played from September 30 to November 2.
Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium will reportedly not host any matches of the upcoming ICC Women's ODI World Cup. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has come under scrutiny ever since a stampede killed 11 fans and left many injured while celebrating RCB’s maiden IPL title win on June 4.
Earlier this month, the cabinet approved Justice John Michael D'Cunha's Commission verdict, which deemed the iconic venue "unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering".
According to an India Today report, the state government has refused to give clearance to the venue, citing safety concerns flagged by the court hearing.
"Sources in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) confirmed that fixtures originally planned in the city, including the opening ceremony, will now be shifted to other venues. The decision follows the cabinet's approval of Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission's findings, which deemed the stadium "fundamentally unsafe" for large-scale events," the report said.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium was supposed to host the opening game and the final of the Women's World Cup later this year, besides the opening ceremony.
The report also claimed that the KSCA has expressed its disappointment over the verdict, emphasizing the stadium's record of successfully hosting over 750 matches and nearly 15 IPL seasons without mishap.
"Even our request to host matches without spectators was turned down," the report quoted a KSCA official as saying.
The Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is likely to replace Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as a venue for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, set to be played from September 30 to November 2.
Visakhapatnam, Indore, Guwahati, and Colombo are the other venues for the tournament to be played in a round-robin format among eight teams – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.
The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup will also be the first women’s global cricket event in the sub-continent since India hosted the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. India also staged the Women’s ODI World Cup in 1978, 1997, and 2013.
(With agency inputs)