Franchises Worry About Losses As Maharaja Trophy Set To Move Out Of Chinnaswamy
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.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
5 hours ago
- United News of India
Dhoni confirms playing 2026 IPL, says Ruturaj will be back at helm
Chennai, Aug 2 (UNI) Having taken over the reins of five time IPL winner Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from injured Ruturaj Gaikwad this year, taismanic leader M S Dhoni confirmed his participation for next year's edition and that Ruturaj will be back as skipper and lead the team. Speaking after attending a private event, he said he recalled his long standing association with Chennai, the love, affection and support he received from the Chennai fans. His love for Chennai stood pronounced when he said it was this city which gave him the first test in 2005 and the first match in IPL in 2008. Dhoni admitted to the team's issues and the balance in this year's edition but vowed that the CSK's batting would be strengthened next year. 'We are slightly worried about our batting order. But I think our batting order is quite sorted out now. Rutu (Gaikwad) will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now,' said Dhoni. UNI GV 2330
News18
6 hours ago
- News18
England's Ben Duckett And Zak Crawley Become 1st Opening Pair In The World To...
Last Updated: Crawley and Duckett opened the innings for England on Saturday (August 2) and added 50 runs in 13.5 overs for the first wicket. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett are the openers for England in Test cricket, and on Saturday (August 2), they entered their names in the history books by becoming the first opening pair in the world to register nine 50+ run opening partnerships in Tests against the Indian team. Duckett and Crawley opened the second innings for England in the ongoing fifth Test against India at The Oval and added 50 runs for the first wicket in 13.5 overs on Saturday. The 50-run stand by the duo was the ninth time in 19 innings that they managed to add at least 50 runs for the first wicket in Tests against India. They broke Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes's record. Haynes and Greenidge played 30 innings as an opener for the West Indies against India in Tests and added at least 50 runs for the first wicket eight times. In 19 Test innings against India, Crawley and Duckett have added 1034 runs as opening partners for England against India. They are only the second opening pair in the world to score 1000 runs against India in the five-day format of the game. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley's opening stands vs India in Tests The overall record of scoring the most runs as an opening pair in Tests against India is in the name of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes of the West Indies. Haynes and Greenidge played 30 innings as an opener against India in Tests and added 1325 runs. Most runs as opening partners against India in Tests Crawley out for 14 In England's second innings of the ongoing fifth Test against India at The Oval, Crawley could only manage to score 14 runs from 36 balls. He was clean bowled by Mohammed Siraj on the last ball of third day's play. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
"Didn't Seem Like Rohit Sharma Could...": Ex-Team India Manager Clears Air On Test Retirement
India's star batter Rohit Sharma called time on his Test career in May this year. He had a poor show during the Australia Test series in 2024-25 and months after the outing, Rohit decided to hang up his boots in the format. Given the player was struggling with his form besides crossing the age of 38, many speculated that some of the top official in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pressurised the veteran player to retire from the format. Jaydev Shah, Indian cricket team manager during the Australia tour in 2024-25, has clear air on it. He has revealed that decision to retire was taken by Rohit only. "He had a baby, he came back and he couldn't make runs," Shah said in a podcast named Voices of Impact with Arjun Mirani. "He was out of form. He was dropped from the last Test, but then he won the Champions Trophy. I think he thought it was time for him to play white ball more than red ball and give another cricketer a chance. I think the board was looking at things like, we have to prepare our team for the next championship. That's a two-year cycle so it's better if new players get set and get there. "And it didn't seem like Rohit could take it for two more years. He also had his injury, he didn't play a couple of IPL matches because of that either. I think that's what he thought, and left for the team to grow and build nicely in the new cycle. Such big decisions are taken by big people like Rohit themselves," Shah added. 'Hitman' Rohit saw it all in Tests. After making noise in the Mumbai domestic circuit for his knocks in the longer format, it took six years for him to get his Test cap in 2013 after his international debut in 2007. Even after getting the coveted cap, it took the right-hander years to find the consistency and rhythm that could justify his immense talent. An unstoppable beast at home, but extremely inconsistent away from home, was the story of his entire career. While the home crowd was treated to a 'Hitman' special plenty of times, his fans in the other parts of the world, travelling to the stadiums, have often been left wanting more. Flashes of absolute genius, undeniable technical skill, are surrounded by a myriad of instances when the batter was just too inconsistent and would throw away his wicket.
