Maharaja T20 Trophy 2025: KSCA Shifts Tournament To Mysuru As Bengaluru Police Deny Chinnaswamy Clearance

The Maharaja T20 tournament has been moved from Bengaluru to Mysuru, with just days to go before its scheduled start on August 11. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) was forced to relocate the franchise-based T20 competition after failing to secure clearance from the Bengaluru police to host matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tournament is now set to run until August 27 in Mysuru.

Franchise owners were informed of the last-minute change earlier this week, leaving most teams scrambling to finalise their logistics. The majority of the participating teams, except the Mysuru Warriors, had been training in various venues across Bengaluru over the past week. This sudden switch presents a significant logistical challenge for the teams involved.

The inability to obtain permission for the Maharaja T20 at Chinnaswamy could be a substantial setback for the KSCA, especially considering the stadium is slated to host five matches of the Women's World Cup, including the opening game and a semi-final, beginning September 30. However, reports suggest that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is not currently concerned about the possibility of moving the World Cup games out of Bengaluru.

The KSCA has faced scrutiny following a tragic incident on June 4, when 11 people died and over 50 were injured in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations. The incident led to the resignation of two KSCA office bearers. Furthermore, a state government-appointed committee investigating the stampede declared the Chinnaswamy "unsafe" for large-scale events late last month, strongly recommending that such events be moved to more suitable venues.

In response to the venue change, the KSCA is working swiftly to prepare the Wadeyar Stadium in Mysuru. This includes arranging makeshift stands, preparing pitches and squares, and setting up temporary broadcast facilities to accommodate the tournament.

The Maharaja T20 is expected to feature several prominent Karnataka cricketers. Karun Nair and Prasidh Krishna will join the Mysuru Warriors after their return from India's Test series in England. However, Nair is reported to have injured his finger during the recent fifth Test and might miss the initial matches. Prasidh Krishna, who impressed with eight wickets in India's series-levelling win at The Oval, has been advised rest and is anticipated to join the squad mid-tournament.

Other notable players set to participate include Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal, and Devdutt Padikkal, alongside a promising younger contingent featuring R Smaran, Vijaykumar Vyshak, KV Aneesh, and Nikin Jose.

Meanwhile, the Maharani T20, the KSCA's women's competition, which commenced on August 4, will continue as planned in Alur, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.