The IPL Governing Council is set to meet next week to determine if Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can play their home games at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this season. Although the Karnataka State government has approved the venue for IPL and international matches, some criteria still need to be met by the franchise. In case the stadium is not ready, RCB is considering Raipur and Navi Mumbai as alternative venues. The Board has asked the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to follow up with the government on the matter.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia mentioned that there are some ‘grey areas’ that need to be addressed before a decision can be made. RCB needs to take responsibility for not only stadium arrangements but also the surrounding areas and comply with additional measures like restrictions on DJ usage and fire safety provisions. KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad expressed confidence in the association’s plan but acknowledged that RCB still had concerns and urged them to communicate with the government.
Following a tragic stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations last year, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted international matches, leading to the relocation of Women’s ODI World Cup games. The KSCA aims to secure unconditional clearance by the end of February after completing necessary works. The final decision on hosting IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium is pending further discussions.
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