The Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram is likely to be named as a replacement venue for matches originally scheduled to be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. The shift in venues comes after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) missed the August 10 deadline to obtain police clearance for hosting the games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Bengaluru was initially slated to host several key matches, including the tournament opener between India and Sri Lanka on September 30, a match between England and South Africa on October 3, and another featuring India against Bangladesh on October 26. The stadium was also in line to host the second semi-final on October 30, and potentially the final on November 2, if Pakistan did not qualify.
However, a tragic stampede that occurred on June 4 near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory parade, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries, has cast a shadow over the stadium's ability to host large-scale events. A state government-appointed committee declared the venue "unsafe" for large gatherings and recommended that major events be moved to venues better equipped to handle large crowds. The Karnataka government then refused to grant the necessary clearances for the stadium to host the World Cup matches. The state body was forced to move the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament to Mysuru after the D'Cunha Commission deemed the Chinnaswamy Stadium "unsafe" for large-scale events.
With the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium facing the risk of losing its hosting rights, the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as a strong contender to host the displaced matches. The Greenfield Stadium is the only international-standard cricket facility in Kerala. It last hosted a men's ODI between India and Sri Lanka in January 2023.
According to ICC rules, host venues must be handed over to the organizers at least one month before the tournament begins. With the Women's World Cup scheduled to commence on September 30, the BCCI and ICC need to make a decision quickly. Thiruvananthapuram is already slated to host World Cup warm-up matches on September 25 and 27.
KCA President K Jayesh confirmed that discussions were ongoing with the ICC and that Thiruvananthapuram is ready to host the Women's World Cup matches and has the necessary infrastructure in place. While awaiting the ICC's final decision, logistical challenges are being addressed for the potential matches.
Other cities that were considered to host the displaced games included Hyderabad and Indore, while Chennai was ruled out due to ongoing renovation work at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2.