The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council is likely to meet next week to resolve the complication regarding Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) home ground. The committee will decide if the team can play its home matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this season.
The Karnataka State government has cleared the venue to host IPL and international games. However, some ‘grey areas’ remain. The franchise must meet certain conditions before matches can be staged at the stadium.
With time running out, the franchise has already started working on contingency plans. Raipur and Navi Mumbai have emerged as possible alternative venues. Meanwhile, the Board has requested the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to address the matter with the State government.
Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, while talking to Sportstar, stated, “We had a recent meeting in which we could not finalise whether RCB will be playing in Bengaluru or not.”
He further stated, “During the meeting, we were informed that the association has produced one document, which says that the government has set some conditions that should be fulfilled. There will be an inspection after that, and once it is given the green signal, then only the crowd manifest can be made.”
“There are certain gray areas. We have therefore requested that they come up with a comprehensive proposal. Maybe in the next three to four days, we will have another meeting to decide whether the Chinnaswamy Stadium will be ready for hosting the IPL or not…”
The guideline released by the government notified the team to take ‘responsibility not only for stadium-related arrangements but also for the road outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, along with additional compliance measures.’ The notice includes restrictions on DJ usage along with safety protocols like setting up a fire brigade unit.
Earlier this week, KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad said the government’s approval reflected confidence in the association’s roadmap and execution plan. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, he added that the KSCA is now working to secure unconditional clearance by the end of February. The association is aiming to complete all remaining works mandated by the authorities within the stipulated timeline.
Last year, a stampede during celebrations of RCB’s IPL title left 11 people dead and 56 injured. Since then, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any international matches. Fixtures from the Women’s ODI World Cup were also moved out of the venue.
