A new city has been finalised to host the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 matches after the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium got blacklisted by the Karnataka government.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Thiruvananthapuram is the current favourite to replace Bengaluru as the host for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
Karnataka government denies KSCA permission to host Women’s World Cup 2025
Bengaluru was among the five cities across the two countries finalised to host matches of the upcoming marquee tournament alongside Vizag, Indore, Guwahati, and Colombo.
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However, now the matches will be shifted out of Bengaluru and reportedly moved to Thiruvananthapuram, with the ICC making a formal announcement very soon.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) was unable to secure permission from the Karnataka government to host the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium despite getting a two-day extension from the BCCI.
At the time the schedule was announced, the ICC allocated five matches to Bengaluru, including the final, a semi-final, and the inaugural matches of the competition. However, now the International Cricket Council will have to announce a revised schedule and make some changes
Why was Chinnaswamy Stadium blacklisted by the Karnataka government?
The reason behind the Karnataka government denying permission to the KSCA to host the matches of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 is the stampede tragedy that happened outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
On June 4, a day after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their first Indian Premier League (IPL) title, the celebrations took a tragic turn, and a stampede outside the stadium resulted in the death of 11 fans.
According to Cricbuzz, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram are kept in standbys, with Kerala being the favourite to replace Bengaluru as host. Also, Chennai wasn’t considered because of the ongoing renovations at the stadium.
“Repeated calls and messages to the KSCA officials remained unanswered but sources within the BCCI have revealed that the Chinnaswamy games are being moved. Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram are being considered as potential alternatives, and Cricbuzz understands chances of Kerala getting the matches are higher,” the report read.
“Chennai could have also been a potential alternative but was ruled out as TNCA had informed BCCI that the ground was not available till December owing to renovation works.”
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The growth of women’s cricket, in many ways, is a reflection of the country’s progress – Sanjog Gupta
ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 will be held from September 30 to November 2, with Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka competing for the trophy.
Speaking at a recent event in Mumbai to mark ‘50 Days to Go’ for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said that the growth of women’s cricket is a reflection of the country’s progress. He stated:
“There is a larger picture here, which has to do with what this means for the country. The growth of women’s cricket, in many ways, is a reflection of the country’s progress.”
“In every sense, the growth of women’s cricket over the last eight years has brought us to this moment where it is time for the game to take its next leap. This World Cup can be the springboard for that next leap. World Cups are more than just events; they are apertures for building trans-generational legacies and fostering new cultures,” he added.
