After a shocking stampede claimed 11 lives on June 4 at Chinnaswamy Stadium, while spectators watched Royal Challengers Bengaluru celebrate their IPL title, it will once again host competitive cricket. Although this will be the stadium’s first true cricketing event, following a tragedy raised serious safety concerns.
K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy Arrives at Chinnaswamy
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has stated that M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host six matches of the K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy – a red-ball multi-day pre-season tournament featuring 16 teams from across India. Also on the list is one semi-final and the final of the tournament, from September 26, 2025.
Big Names in Action
Cricket enthusiasts will be deprived of the live action since all the matches will be played behind closed doors. The tournament, however, has some prominent Indian cricketers playing in it, including:
Ajinkya Rahane
Venkatesh Iyer
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Hanuma Vihari
Vijay Shankar
Shashank Singh
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Players from Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh will play.
Chinnaswamy Stadium Still Under Investigation
The reopening of Chinnaswamy Stadium happens amid ongoing investigations. A one-man tribunal is currently probing the roles of the KSCA, state police, and the Karnataka government regarding the tragic stampede.
Secondly, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the central point of the June 4 incident, has finally spoken out. The franchise recently contributed INR 25 lakh for the bereaved families and pledged long-term solutions for enhanced crowd safety and event management.
Regulatory Problems and Blackouts
Chinnaswamy Stadium, even with match hosting, continues to be plagued by several logistical issues:
BESCOM has disconnected the electrical supply for non-compliance with the fire safety regulations. The stadium is now operating on generators and its solar system. At the time of writing on September 3 the stadium has not yet received a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Impact on Future Tournaments
For reasons of safety and regulatory:
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Permission to host the Women’s World Cup was denied to the stadium, missing out on crucial matches such as the tournament curtain raiser, a semi-final, and the November 2 final. The Maharaja Trophy, popular Karnataka’s T20 league, was also shifted to Mysore, as the police refused permission to KSCA to hold the tournament without spectators at Chinnaswamy.
Chinnaswamy Stadium Considered Unsafe for Mass Gatherings
A committee appointed by the state recently adjudged Chinnaswamy Stadium “unsafe” for mass events. The commission suggested shifting big-games cricket events to safer places that can handle larger crowds better.
New 60,000-Seater Stadium in the Works
To counter constant complaints, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced a mega infrastructure venture a 60,000 capacity cricket stadium, to be constructed within a 75-acre sports complex on the city limits. The stadium is meant to stage future international and IPL matches, taking the load off Chinnaswamy Stadium.
