M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Dropped from 2025 Women’s World Cup, Matches Shift to Thiruvananthapuram: Reports

In a surprising development, Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been removed as a venue for the 2025 Women’s World Cup after the Karnataka government denied permission, citing safety concerns highlighted in a judicial report following the stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory parade on June 4. As a result, the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is set to replace it as one of the venues for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup will be held from September 30 to November 2.

Sources from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) say that matches which were set to happen in Bengaluru, even the opening ceremony, will now take place at different places. This change comes after the state government said yes to a report by Justice John Michael D’Cunha. The report said M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is "fundamentally unsafe" for big events. The KSCA says they are not happy about this, as the stadium has held more than 750 matches and almost 15 IPL seasons without the big problems.

🚨 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 🚨

- Thiruvananthapuram likely to replace Bengaluru as venue for Women's World Cup 2025. (Cricbuzz). pic.twitter.com/jB0rV10xbR

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) August 12, 2025

A KSCA official stated, "Even our request to hold matches without spectators was turned down," highlighting that the June 4 incident was a private event not a cricket match. The commission was set up to investigate the stampede that occurred during the IPL victory celebrations outside the stadium led to 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. 

The Justice D’Cunha Commission found that the stadium’s “design and structure” are not suitable for handling large crowds citing issues like limited entry and exit points, poor public transport access, no designated queuing areas inadequate emergency evacuation plans and insufficient parking. The report concluded that hosting major events at the stadium would pose “unacceptable risks” to public safety.

Officials have also pointed out major failures in crowd management during the June 4 celebrations, placing some of the blame on RCB, KSCA, the event organizer DNA Entertainment, and senior police officials. Investigators revealed that only 79 police officers were stationed inside the stadium, with none outside, and there were no ambulances available on-site. This isn't the first issue for M. Chinnaswamy Stadium; it was recently denied permission to host the KSCA Maharaj T20 Trophy. With Bengaluru now removed from the list of venues, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) are expected to announce revised fixtures and alternative locations.

The 2025 Women’s World Cup will start on September 30, with the opening mаtch between hosts Sri Lanka and Indiа. Originally scheduled to be held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, this match will now tаke plаce at a replacement venue. Since M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is no longer part of the 2025 World Cup, possible alternative venues are Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium аnd Mumbai’s Brabourne and Wankhede Stadiums. These venues have a history of successfully hosting major events, including past World Cups and the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

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