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After deadly stampede, Bengaluru plans ₹1,650 crore cricket stadium
Karnataka approves ₹1,650 crore, 80,000-seat cricket stadium in Bengaluru after Chinnaswamy stampede, aiming to boost safety and retain the city’s cricketing prominence.
Bengaluru is preparing to build a new arena after a deadly stampede highlighted the limitations of its existing facilities. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has approved a ₹1,650 crore sports complex in Surya City, on Bengaluru’s southern outskirts, anchored by an 80,000-seat cricket stadium, as per reports. Once complete, it will be the second-largest in the country, behind only the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The decision follows the June 4 tragedy outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where several people died during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Indian Premier League title. The stadium, with capacity for 32,000 spectators on a cramped 17-acre site, was deemed unfit for major events by a commission led by Justice John Michael Cunha, citing inadequate space, parking and crowd management.
In the aftermath, the Maharaja Trophy cricket tournament was shifted to Mysuru after police denied permission for Bengaluru matches. There is also uncertainty over the city hosting five Women’s World Cup fixtures later this year and the 2026 IPL season.
The Karnataka Housing Board, which will fully finance the project, has drawn up plans for a 100-acre multi-sport complex featuring eight indoor and eight outdoor arenas, Olympic-sized swimming pools, gyms, training centers, guest houses, hostels, hotels and a convention hall for international events.
Bengaluru has long produced some of Indian cricket’s most celebrated players — including Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and K.L. Rahul — and is home to the National Cricket Academy’s Centre of Excellence.
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