Bengaluru: Ending months of speculation over when competitive cricket would return to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the state govt has given a conditional go-ahead for international and Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to be staged at the venue.On Saturday, the additional chief secretary, home department, wrote to the city police commissioner, granting approval subject to compliance with terms and conditions prescribed by the govt and other authorities concerned. The iconic stadium has been denied permission to host matches, even behind closed doors, after the June 4 stampede outside the venue during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL title celebrations.The govt has made it clear that matches can be held only after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) fulfils all stipulated safety, security and infrastructural requirements.The IPL season is scheduled to begin on March 26, making the next few weeks crucial for KSCA to meet all requirements.While permission was awaited, RCB had already drawn up contingency plans. The franchise held discussions with the Chhattisgarh govt about hosting matches in Raipur, and also explored alternatives in Maharashtra, including the MCA Stadium in Pune and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.RCB officials declined to comment, but it is learnt that the KSCA is likely to hold talks with the Bengaluru-based franchise on Monday. In a press release, the KSCA struck an optimistic note. “KSCA is confident of fulfilling all the stipulated conditions. The association has already presented a detailed compliance roadmap to the Expert Review Committee and remains fully committed to implementing all safety, security, and crowd-management measures in letter and spirit,” the statement said.An expert review committee, headed by Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) chief M Maheshwar Rao, was constituted last month to assess the progress on work at the stadium. Earlier this week, the panel visited the KSCA, met secretary Santosh Menon and other officials, and reviewed the timelines proposed by the association for completing the mandated works.The Justice D Cunha report, commissioned after the June incident, had listed 17 recommendations aimed at improving spectator safety. KSCA has maintained that 15 of these are feasible and that work on them has already begun. The association is already compliant with norms laid down by Bescom and the health department, while March 15 has been set as the deadline for completing the remaining works.The home department’s letter notes that the approval has been granted based on the progress made so far by KSCA, which has been verified by relevant govt agencies. These agencies, the letter states, are satisfied with the steps taken.The letter also lists four key conditions. KSCA must implement not only the Cunha committee’s recommendations but also all requirements mandated for hosting international matches. The association must cooperate fully with monitoring authorities, who will periodically review the progress. If the work deviates from the approved framework, permission could be reviewed.Decision on crowd capacity pendingWith civil work still under way inside the stadium, the govt has deferred a decision on spectator capacity. The current capacity stands at around 33,000, but this will be reassessed once the work is completed.While uncertainty remains over whether RCB will be able to host all their home matches in Bengaluru, it is understood that at least three other franchises have expressed interest in playing a few matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
