Women's World Cup 2025: Bengaluru games shifted after horrific stadium stampede incident

Published - 22 Aug 2025, 13:59 IST | Updated - 22 Aug 2025, 14:10 IST

Bengaluru's iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has lost its hosting rights for the mega ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Five matches originally scheduled at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, including the tournament opener and a possible semi-final, have now been moved to Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. The decision comes following the aftermath of the horrific stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 victory celebrations in June, which claimed 11 lives and left over 50 injured.

The June 4 tragedy outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium triggered turmoil in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Thousands of fans had gathered to celebrate RCB’s maiden IPL title, but mismanagement of the crowd led to chaos, resulting in deaths and dozens of injuries. The incident sparked outrage across the state, with the government holding both KSCA and the franchise responsible.

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Post the disaster, the venue was declared unsafe for large gatherings by a state-appointed committee. Police permissions for hosting major events at the stadium have since been denied. Even KSCA’s proposal to stage tournaments behind closed doors was rejected. Subsequently, the Maharaja T20 League had to be shifted out of Bengaluru to Mysuru, further underlining the government’s tough stance.