The ICC and the BCCI held a countdown to the Women’s World Cup event in Mumbai in an all-Indian event. ICC chairman Jay Shah was present with BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, apart from former Men’s World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh. But even as the countdown to the event officially began, BCCI and ICC are both clueless about the venue of the opener, two group matches, a semifinal and the grand final. M Chinnaswamy Stadium was supposed to host those five matches. But the stadium has been banned by the state government panel from hosting any big games following the stampede on June 4 that took 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory ceremony.
Maharaja Trophy, Karnataka’s own T20 league, had to be shifted to Mysuru entirely. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which maintains and runs the Chinnaswamy Stadium, has written to the Karnataka govt seeking permission. However, the Karnataka government has been in no hurry to respond. As a result, the Maharaja Trophy was moved out, and the fate of Women’s World Cup matches hangs in the balance.
“We are in touch with the KSCA, and they are in touch with the local government. Hoping to will get some clarity soon. We hope the govt will reconsider its move and allow some matches,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.
Doubt over M Chinnaswamy Stadium
Even though the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is still one of the best cricket venues in the country in terms of facilities, it is facing an existential crisis. The Chinnaswamy Stadium has the best drainage system. It has offset electricity costs by installing solar panels way before anyone planned. The location of the stadium is also excellent, allowing fans to take public transport. The one area that it lacks is parking.
While the Karnataka government appointed the D’Cunha commission, which deemed the Chinnaswamy Stadium unsafe for large-scale events. With the state government accepting the report and quickly announcing plans to build a new 80,000-capacity stadium in Bommasandra, the long-term future of Chinnaswamy Stadium is in doubt. However, what about the short term? Will it host the Women’s World Cup matches? What about domestic games and IPL 2026? There is no clarity. But in all likelihood, defending IPL champions RCB could be homeless in IPL 2026. They could move their base to Vishakhapatnam temporarily.
Which venue will host Women’s World Cup matches?
If the state government deny permission to host Women’s World Cup matches, the BCCI and the ICC will be forced to look at alternate venues. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is ruled out as it is undergoing outfield renovation. With five venues already selected by the ICC for the Women’s World Cup 2025, those five games, including the finals, are likely to be shifted to one of them.
ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam seems to be the ideal choice for both the BCCI. The venue will host five group-stage matches, including two India games. The only worry about the venues is late monsoon rain. Since Chinnaswamy has an excellent drainage system, it got the hosting rights for the final.
“We are still banking on Bengaluru. But in case the matches must be shifted out, we have options. Vizag and Guwahati are both excellent venues. We can’t predict that it will rain in October-November. So, we will have to see,” the official said.
Women’s World Cup matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 | India Women vs Sri Lanka Women | 15:00 |
| Oct 3 | England Women vs South Africa Women | 15:00 |
| Oct 26 | India Women vs Bangladesh Women | 15:00 |
| Oct 30 | Semifinal 2 | 15:00 |
| Nov 2 | Final | 15:00 |
