Bengaluru supporters are upset that officials have refused to allow the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, preventing Virat Kohli‘s eagerly anticipated comeback. All scheduled matches have been moved to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) as a result of the decision, which was made for infrastructure and security reasons.
The statement was made months after 11 people were killed in a terrible stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s celebrations of their IPL victory. The Karnataka government banned matches from being held at the location after the tragedy, and the Justice Michael Cunha Commission was established to look into safety violations. Afterwards, the commission listed 17 requirements that had to be met before games could start again at the stadium.
Following a favourable initial reaction, a private match between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, starring Kohli and captained by Rishabh Pant, was set for December 24.
The newly elected Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), led by former India bowler Venkatesh Prasad, requested permission from the State government to hold Vijay Hazare Trophy matches following the recent elections.
The development was confirmed by the Bengaluru Police Commissioner.
However, the Home Department determined that the stadium was not yet prepared to host games after a joint inspection by a special committee made up of representatives from the Greater Bengaluru Authority, Bengaluru Police, Fire Services, Health Department, BWSSB, and PWD. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh confirmed the situation and stated that, according to the committee’s findings, authorisation had not been given.
“The committee that has reviewed this matter has followed the directives from the two departments. Fire, Test Farm, Fiduciary, GBH, and Police are among the departments that have left. According to the department’s report, the infrastructure has not been approved. The report must be appealed by the committee. However, the permission hasn’t been given yet,” he stated.
According to Home Department sources, the recently established KSCA administration would not be able to instantly adhere to all 17 safety requirements. Authorities objected to the KSCA’s request for authorisation to hold games without spectators, particularly since the players may draw large audiences outside the stadium.
Due to security concerns, the Karnataka government issued a decision that resulted in the shifting of the Bengaluru Vijay Hazare Trophy matches to the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Training sessions will also take place at the CoE, and both participating teams have been notified. According to KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, the organisation is eagerly expecting additional guidance from the authorities and is dedicated to putting all safety suggestions into practice as soon as possible.
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