Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium will not host any matches of the Women’s World Cup 2025 after the Karnataka government refused to grant permission, citing serious safety concerns flagged in a judicial commission report on the June 4 stampede.

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.

KSCA expressed disappointment, pointing out the stadium’s record of successfully hosting over 750 matches and nearly 15 IPL seasons without incident. “Even our request to host matches without spectators was turned down,” a KSCA official said, noting that the June 4 event was privately organised, not a cricket match.

The commission was set up to probe the IPL victory celebration stampede outside the stadium that killed 11 people and injured over 50.

It concluded that the stadium’s “design and structure” are unsuitable for big crowds, citing inadequate entry and exit points, poor connectivity to public transport, lack of queuing areas, insufficient emergency evacuation plans, and minimal parking space. The report warned that hosting large events here posed “unacceptable risks” to public safety.

Officials have also alleged lapses in crowd management during the June 4 celebrations, holding RCB, KSCA, event organiser DNA Entertainment, and senior police officers partly responsible. Investigators found that only 79 police personnel were deployed inside the venue, none outside, and no ambulances were present.

This is not the first setback for the stadium, earlier this year, it was denied permission to host the KSCA Maharaj T20 Trophy. With Bengaluru off the list, the BCCI is expected to announce revised venues and fixtures before the tournament kicks off on September 30, 2025.

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