Bengaluru ruled out as World Cup venue due to safety issues
The International Cricket Council (ICC), in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is preparing to replace Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as a host venue for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. The decision follows serious safety concerns raised after the June 4 stampede that occurred outside the stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory parade, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries.
The incident triggered a high-level investigation led by the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, which concluded that the venue was structurally unfit to safely host large-scale events. The report found the “design and structure” of the stadium to be inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” and warned that further events would pose “unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness.”
These findings have led the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to inform the BCCI that it could not secure the necessary government clearances to host World Cup matches. As a result, Bengaluru has been dropped from the list of tournament venues.
Thiruvananthapuram emerges as the frontrunner
According to a report by Sportstar, Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Bengaluru, with Guwahati also being considered. The final decision on the new venue is expected to be announced shortly.
Meanwhile, sources aware of the development told IANS that the Karnataka government did not grant permission for the games, leading to the shift in venues. As one source put it:
“Yes, it has come to light that due to no permissions coming on time for hosting World Cup games in Bengaluru, it will now be moving to Thiruvananthapuram, which is also an ideal venue due to weather conditions and its proximity to Colombo. The ICC will be officially announcing it soon.”
Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium is now poised to take over the fixtures originally scheduled in Bengaluru. Although it has never hosted a women’s international match, the venue has staged multiple men’s T20Is, ODIs, youth Tests, and ODIs, and was one of the warm-up venues for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup.
Impact on tournament schedule and preparations
Under the original schedule, Bengaluru was slated to host the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, two key group-stage matches — England vs. South Africa (October 3) and India vs. Bangladesh (October 26) — along with the second semifinal on October 30 and possibly the final on November 2. Additionally, the city was also supposed to host two warm-up games before the tournament. With just weeks to go before the start of the tournament, the logistical rework is expected to be intense.
To mitigate the fallout from safety concerns at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the KSCA has already relocated its domestic fixtures — the Maharaja T20 Trophy was moved to Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru, while Alur hosted the Maharani T20 games.
Tournament overview and legacy
The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, scheduled from September 30 to November 2, will feature eight teams — India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka — competing in a round-robin format across multiple cities, including Visakhapatnam, Indore, Guwahati, and Colombo.
This will be the first women’s global cricket tournament held in the subcontinent since 2016, when India hosted the Women’s T20 World Cup. India has previously hosted the Women’s ODI World Cup in 1978, 1997, and 2013.
As the final venue lineup is being confirmed, Thiruvananthapuram is positioned to play a crucial role in ensuring the success of this landmark event — both for the ICC and for women’s cricket in the region.
