‘Safety first’: Chinnaswamy Stadium gets conditional approval to host cricket matches

A high-level monitoring committee has been empowered by the state government to regularly oversee the progress of these works and compliance at the venue.

“Authorities retain the right to inspect the stadium at any time and to revise, suspend, or withdraw permission if compliance is found to be inadequate or unsatisfactory,” the Expert Committee said.

The government has also clarified that, as the stadium’s safety upgrades are still underway, it is not possible at present to determine the number of spectators who may be permitted to attend matches. A final decision on spectator capacity will be taken only after the completion of all works and a fresh inspection and report from the Expert Committee.

No matches have been held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium since the June 4, 2025, stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, in which 11 people died, and scores were injured. A judicial commission later described the stadium as “unsafe for large-scale events,” prompting the government to suspend hosting of major fixtures until safety upgrades were undertaken.

The safety concerns also led authorities to deny permission for a Vijay Hazare Trophy match scheduled at the stadium in December 2025, resulting in it being moved to the BCCI Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of the city.