The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru may not host the Women’s World Cup matches. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) missed the August 10 deadline to get police clearance to host the games, says ESPNcricinfo. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had set this deadline.
If Bengaluru can’t host the matches, the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is being considered as a replacement. This stadium is currently hosting the second season of the Kerala Cricket League, which runs from August 21 to September 7.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium could be in danger of losing its #CWC25 matches after the KCSA missed the August 10 deadline to secure police approval to host games at the venue
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 12, 2025
Full story: https://t.co/VrBLVPVZqy pic.twitter.com/t3cFXGM4n5
Right now, the Chinnaswamy Stadium is scheduled to host four matches in the eight-team tournament, with a possible fifth match. These games are:
- The opening match between India and Sri Lanka on September 30.
- The match between England and South Africa on October 3.
- The India versus Bangladesh match on October 26.
- The second semi-final on October 30.
- Potentially the final on November 2, if Pakistan doesn’t make it to the final match.
India has hosted the Women’s Cricket World Cup three times before, in 1978, 1997 and 2013. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted only one game during the 1997 World Cup. In the same year, the Gangotri Glades Stadium in Mysore hosted a league match between Pakistan and Denmark.
The state government’s strict approach has raised concerns about Bengaluru’s ability to host big events in the future, especially with the T20 World Cup scheduled early next year and the Indian Premier League(IPL). The government didn’t allow the Maharaja Cup to be held in Bengaluru, so it was moved to Mysuru. The KSCA had to move the Maharajah T20 Trophy to Mysuru even after deciding to hold it without spectators at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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The state body had to move the tournament because the D’Cunha Commission, a one-man panel, said the Chinnaswamy Stadium was not safe for big events. The state government had set up this commission to look into the stampede that happened on June 4 where people died and others were hurt during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations. The ICC has a rule that the host association must hand over the stadium to the ICC at least 30 days before the tournament starts. No other matches are allowed during this time.
This has also messed up the plans of several teams. Many teams wanted to set up their base in Bengaluru to use the practice facilities as well as the KSCA’s ground in Alur before the tournament.
Sources close to the situation said if the World Cup matches are moved, they have backup venues ready. But for now, they are waiting for confirmation.
