On Sunday, December 7, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). He won the KSCA presidency by defeating opposition KN Shanth Kumar, who received 558 votes to the former’s 749.
Prasad was overjoyed with the victory, believing that it will not only benefit him personally but also act as a blessing for the restoration of high-profile cricket to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following the stampede incident on June 4 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration, the historic venue has not hosted top-tier matches since.
“First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket. Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” Prasad said as quoted by.
We’re going to do everything for the game: Venkatesh Prasad
Ahead of the elections, Prasad had been at the helm of immense backing by his former India and Karnataka teammates Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. He thanked the duo among all the others who supported for his win. In his manifesto, the 56-year-old has assured to bring the charm back to the association by reviving IPL and international matches at one of the most iconic landmarks in Indian cricket.
“We are sitting here only because of all these people who have supported us, who have believed in us, and backed us through and through. They believed in our purpose, in our cause, they had faith in us and so did the members. We are going to implement our manifesto, whatever we have said. So I thank you all for giving us an opportunity. And I am sure we are going to make sure that we do everything for the game,” Prasad said as per Deccan Herald.
For the unversed, Chinnaswamy lost its hosting rights for the 2025 Women’s World Cup and was also ignored for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026. RCB, who played their home games here, are also in talks with Maharashtra Cricket Association to host their fixtures for the IPL 2026 at the Gahunje Stadium in Pune.
Meanwhile, KSCA member and deputy chief minister of the state DK Shivakumar also said that the authorities will make sure that the RCB matches are not shifted out of Bengaluru. Shivakumar, who is a cricket fan himself, has assured that in addition to bringing back the reputation of Chinnaswamy, he will also get a new cricket stadium built in Bengaluru as an alternative.
“Will not allow IPL matches to be shifted out of Chinnaswamy stadium. This is a question of Bengaluru and Karnataka’s pride. We will ensure IPL matches are held here. I am a cricket fan. We will ensure that such incidents don’t recur in the future and uphold the reputation of the stadium. We will also build a new cricket stadium as an alternative,” he wrote on X.
India
