The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has received a green light from the Karnataka government to host international and IPL matches, months after a stampede incident following RCB’s title win last year.
The venue had been deprived of cricket since June, when 11 fans were killed and several others were injured during a stampede at RCB’s victory celebrations.
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad reacted to the development and urged Royal Challengers Bengaluru to speed up the process of hosting matches at home so that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) can get unconditional clearance from the BCCI.
In an official release, RCB insisted that while they want to play their IPL matches in front of their home crowd, the franchise feels that there are a few grey areas that still need to be addressed to ensure fan safety.
“We welcome the Karnataka Govt decision to allow matches to be held at the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium and we highly appreciate the Karnataka State Cricket Association efforts in ongoing infrastructure work that has led to this conditional approval,” RCB said in a statement.
“While our desire is always to play at home ground in front of our ardent fans we’re committed to fully understanding the condition applicable to hosting matches here at the measures taken to ensure fan safety protocols are met our goal is to determine how all stakeholders can best work together.”
RCB reiterated that fans remain the heart and soul of the franchise and stressed that their safety is the top priority.
“We have repeatedly stated that fans are the heart and the soul of RCB. With our fans-first approach we want to ensure that they have the best and the safest experience possible. From our preliminary conversation there remain a few grey areas that need to be addressed we are considering these parameters and input from all stakeholders before arriving at responsible decision for the team and our fans.”
The franchise also appreciated the efforts of the Karnataka State Cricket Association to bring cricket back to the Chinnaswamy Stadium and insisted on providing fans with a safe and secure experience.
