The KSCA has been denied permission to host Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru by the state government and police due to safety and security concerns, forcing the games to be moved to the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) on the outskirts of the city.
The tournament opener between Delhi and Andhra, which is expected to feature Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, will be played behind closed doors - without spectators - at the CoE. The KSCA was informed of the development on Tuesday by Karnataka's home ministry, after which both teams were told ahead of their training session.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any matches since eleven people died in a stampede outside the venue during RCB's IPL victory celebrations on June 4. Following that tragedy, a report compiled by Justice John Michael D'Cunha termed the venue "highly unsafe" for large gatherings and recommended that the KSCA comply with several directives to make the Chinnaswamy Stadium suitable for spectators.
Since Venkatesh Prasad took over as KSCA president earlier this month, there has been frenetic activity around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and several meetings have been held with government officials about the possibility of top-flight cricket, including the IPL, being played at the venue. While the KSCA accepted the government's decision on permissions, it is hopeful that the situation will change in the near future.
"KSCA understands that the decision on permission is linked to the implementation of the recommendations of the Justice Cunha Committee," the KSCA said in a statement on Tuesday. "It has come to the attention of the present administration that earlier communications from the police Department since August 2025, concerning implementation of the Justice Cunha Committee recommendations, did not receive the desired level of follow-up from the previous managing committee. In contrast, the newly elected managing committee of KSCA, under the leadership of former international cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, which assumed office on 8 December 2025, has been proactive and responsive, engaging swiftly with all concerned government departments and statutory authorities within a short span of less than two weeks.
"The present committee has actively reached out to seek guidance, inputs, and approvals required for the conduct of matches and has initiated all necessary steps to align KSCA' s actions with the expectations of the authorities … The association looks forward to receiving the detailed inputs, observations, and recommendations from the authorities forming part of the review committee and assures that all such recommendations will be implemented in a structured and time-bound manner.
"KSCA remains fully committed to implementing all practicable safety, security, and infrastructure-related measures at the earliest. With this proactive approach and full compliance with the recommended measures, KSCA is confident that the necessary permissions for conducting Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will be granted in the near future."
The KSCA had earlier moved the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches involving Kohli and Pant from Alur to the Chinnaswamy Stadium due to logistical and security challenges. The association was also hopeful that it would be able to open two stands, which could have seated 2000-3000 spectators.
On Monday, a committee constituted by the Karnataka government comprising officials from police, public works and fire safety department inspected the Chinnaswamy Stadium and submitted a report, after which the directive was issued to move the games away from the venue.