Chinnaswamy reopens for cricket, RCB to host IPL matches

Bengaluru, 20 February: M Chinnaswamy Stadium will once again reverberate with the sound of willow on leather after the Karnataka state cabinet formally approved the resumption of cricket matches at the iconic venue. The decision, taken on Thursday, follows the conditional clearance issued by the state home department on 17 January and clears the path for defending Indian Premier League champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to stage their 2025 home fixtures in the city.

The green signal comes almost eight months after the government suspended all cricketing activities at the ground in the wake of the 4 June stampede that killed 11 fans during RCB’s title-winning celebrations last season. A government-appointed expert committee led by Maheshwar Rao, chief of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, reviewed safety protocols and submitted recommendations that formed the basis of Thursday’s cabinet nod.

Law minister H K Patil told reporters that the home department will shortly release a comprehensive order detailing the pre-conditions the Karnataka State Cricket Association must satisfy before the first ball is bowled. “Keeping in mind the D’Cunha report and the recommendations of the government expert committee, the home minister will share the details shortly,” Patil said after the cabinet meeting.

Home minister G Parameshwara earlier chaired a two-hour review with KSCA officials, RCB representatives and members of the Rao-led panel. Sources present said the committee expressed satisfaction with the progress on 17 short-term safety measures identified by the Justice D’Cunha inquiry, all of which must be completed by 15 March. The measures range from revamped entry-exit controls to enhanced medical response infrastructure inside the 40,000-capacity stadium.

With the IPL season scheduled to begin on 26 March, the timing is critical: convention dictates that the defending champions host both the tournament opener and the glittering opening ceremony. RCB, who clinched their maiden title in 2024, had been forced to explore alternative venues while the stadium remained off-limits.

The formal government order, expected within days, will spell out final compliance benchmarks for KSCA, but Thursday’s cabinet decision effectively ends the sport’s enforced hiatus in Karnataka’s capital and restores Bengaluru to the centre-stage of IPL cricket.