After the June 4th stampede in Bengaluru, the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission appointed by the Karnataka Government has said Chinnaswamy Stadium is not suitable and not safe for big crowds. This could impact several matches scheduled to be held there, including the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final.
The stampede which killed 11 people (many of them were teenagers) and injured others happened near the stadium during a massive gathering to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s first IPL win in 2025 season. The team had planned a parade and the government had organized events but the city’s infrastructure and police were not prepared to handle such a big crowd.
The commission’s report which was presented to the state cabinet recently said the stadium’s design and structure is not safe for big gatherings. The commission suggested the stadium authorities to think of moving big events to places that can accommodate them better given these systemic issues.
To prevent future tragedies the commission suggested having enough entry and exit gates for quick movement and emergency evacuation plans that meet international safety standards.
KSCA has already instructed the local T20 tournament, Maharaja Trophy to be held indoors. If the government agrees to the recommendations it’s not clear if the ICC will host the World Cup final and three other matches at the stadium.
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This could also be the IPL 2026 final and second qualifier as the defending champions are also likely to be held here.
The commission said holding big events at the stadium puts public safety, city traffic and emergency readiness at risk till the structural changes are made.
The commission suggested to initiate legal proceedings against KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, former secretary A Shankar, treasurer ES Jairam, RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur.
