6 days ago
Blow for Bengaluru stadium: Local T20 tournament moved ahead of Women's World Cup
The fourth edition of the Maharaja T20 Trophy, a franchise-based T20 tournament, has been moved out of Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. According to ESPNcricinfo, the decision was taken after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) failed to obtain police clearance to host the tournament, which features six development comes just weeks after a damning judicial commission report deemed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium fundamentally unsafe for large-scale events. The Justice John Michael D'Cunha Commission, constituted to investigate the 4 June stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations, found the stadium's 'design and structure' to be inherently 'unsuitable and unsafe' for events attracting large crowds. The incident claimed 11 lives and left over 50 people loss of the Maharaja T20 Trophy is a significant blow for Bengaluru's iconic venue, particularly with the Women's World Cup approaching. Five matches, including the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on 30 September, are scheduled to be hosted at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Maharaja Trophy will now be held at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Cricket Stadium in Mysuru. The two-week competition, running from 11 to 28 August, will take place behind closed doors, with no spectators in attendance, according to a statement from the cricketer Gundappa Viswanath, commenting on the tournament's relocation, said:'It has happened before in Mysuru and it has always been a good centre. Mysuru has always been a rich catchment area for Karnataka cricket, and it is great to see T20 cricket return to Mysuru. It's called the Maharaja Trophy, so it is a fitting venue.'The opening day on 11 August will feature the Gulbarga Mystics facing the Mangaluru Dragons in the afternoon, followed by defending champions Mysore Warriors taking on last year's runners-up Bengaluru Blasters in a highly anticipated evening clash. Double-headers will continue throughout the league phase, culminating in the play-offs from 26 August and the final on 28 six franchises — Mysore Warriors (defending champions), Bengaluru Blasters, Hubli Tigers, Gulbarga Mystics, Shivamogga Lions, and Mangaluru Dragons — will battle for supremacy. The tournament features top Karnataka talent including Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, and Manish SCHEDULE – MAHARAJA T20 TROPHY11 AugustGulbarga Mystics vs Mangaluru Dragons – 3.15 pmBengaluru Blasters vs Mysore Warriors – 7.15 pm12 AugustHubli Tigers vs Shivamogga Lions – 3.15 pmMysore Warriors vs Gulbarga Mystics – 7.15 pm13 AugustBengaluru Blasters vs Hubli Tigers – 3.15 pmMangaluru Dragons vs Shivamogga Lions – 7.15 pm14 AugustMysore Warriors vs Mangaluru Dragons – 3.15 pmGulbarga Mystics vs Bengaluru Blasters – 7.15 pm15 AugustShivamogga Lions vs Bengaluru Blasters – 3.15 pmHubli Tigers vs Mangaluru Dragons – 7.15 pm16 AugustShivamogga Lions vs Gulbarga Mystics – 3.15 pmadvertisementMysore Warriors vs Hubli Tigers – 7.15 pm17 AugustMangaluru Dragons vs Bengaluru Blasters – 3.15 pmMysore Warriors vs Shivamogga Lions – 7.15 pm18 AugustMysore Warriors vs Bengaluru Blasters – 3.15 pmGulbarga Mystics vs Hubli Tigers – 7.15 pm19 AugustGulbarga Mystics vs Shivamogga Lions – 3.15 pmMangaluru Dragons vs Hubli Tigers – 7.15 pm20 AugustGulbarga Mystics vs Mysore Warriors – 3.15 pmHubli Tigers vs Bengaluru Blasters – 7.15 pm21 AugustMangaluru Dragons vs Mysore Warriors – 3.15 pmBengaluru Blasters vs Shivamogga Lions – 7.15 pm22 AugustHubli Tigers vs Gulbarga Mystics – 3.15 pmShivamogga Lions vs Mangaluru Dragons – 7.15 pm23 AugustHubli Tigers vs Mysore Warriors – 3.15 pmBengaluru Blasters vs Gulbarga Mystics – 7.15 pm24 AugustBengaluru Blasters vs Mangaluru Dragons – 3.15 pmShivamogga Lions vs Mysore Warriors – 7.15 pm25 AugustShivamogga Lions vs Hubli Tigers – 3.15 pmMangaluru Dragons vs Gulbarga Mystics – 7.15 pm26 AugustQualifier I – 3.15 pmEliminator – 7.15 pm27 AugustQualifier II – 7.15 pm28 AugustFinal – 7.15 pm- EndsMust Watch
