Franchises Worry About Losses As Maharaja Trophy Set To Move Out Of Chinnaswamy

News18

4 days ago

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Maharaja Trophy franchises are staring at big losses with the tournament set to be moved out of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is considering moving matches of the Maharaja T20, the state's IPL-like franchise competition, out of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after failing to get the state police's clearance to host matches at the international ground, according to ESPNcricinfo. The stadium is a key part of the police investigation over the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people and left several others injured.
The tournament is slated to be played between August 11 and 27. The KSCA had previously announced that matches will take place behind closed doors with no audience. Now, according to the report, they are looking at their facility in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru and the Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru as alternatives. However, a lack of floodlights and spectator seating at Alur could be an issue for broadcasters and franchises.
The report said that Alur seems likely to host the inaugural women's tournament, the Maharani T20, which begins on August 4. The KSCA had hoped for Chinnaswamy to host the final, but that seems unlikely.
The report added that franchises are now voicing concern about the financial losses they face, given they have already made hotel bookings for players and staff, assuming the matches would be at Chinnaswamy.
It piles pressure on KSCA. As recently as last week, a one-man committee from the Karnataka government had declared the Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' and 'unsuitable' to host big events.
'The design and structure of the stadium was unsuitable and unsafe for mass gathering," the commission deemed in its report which was also tabled before the state cabinet, as accessed by news agency PTI. 'Given these systematic limitations the commission strongly recommends that stadium authorities consider relocating events that are expected to attract large crowds to venues that are better suited for such large gatherings," it stated.
'Adequate entry-exit gates for mass entry and exit (ingress and egress), and emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms," it said. '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 commission added.
Several international matches are also scheduled at the ground, including the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup final. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the home side whose victory celebrations saw the stampede, also play at least seven games here and will also expect to get the final as per IPL norms. All games are currently in limbo.
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