Bengaluru won’t see Virat Kohli at Chinnaswamy for Vijay Hazare Trophy clash as BCCI shifts venue

The Delhi versus Andhra opener featuring Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant will be moved from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, as per ESPNcricinfo. The decision came after the Karnataka home ministry directed the KSCA to make the change, citing security reasons.

This is the second change of venue in two weeks. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had earlier shifted at least two matches involving Kohli and Pant from Alur to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium due to logistical and security challenges. Both teams, Delhi and Andhra, have been informed of the latest development ahead of their training session, which will now take place at the Centre of Excellence (CoE).

The KSCA, which is responsible for logistics, has been instructed to ensure that all matches across Bengaluru are played behind closed doors. Bengaluru police have assured strong security arrangements around the Aerospace Park, where the CoE is located.


The CoE has previously hosted matches behind closed doors, including the Duleep Trophy, Women’s World Cup warm-up games and India A’s series against South Africa.

Earlier, the KSCA had expressed confidence in hosting matches involving Kohli and Pant at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and had even indicated that two stands could be opened to the public, allowing seating for around 2,000 to 3,000 spectators. However, the proposal reportedly faced strong opposition from the state government, which cited potential security and compliance issues. ESPNcricinfo reports that the government was keen to avoid chaos around the stadium during the holiday season.

On Monday, a committee constituted by the Karnataka government, comprising officials from the police, public works and fire safety departments, inspected the Chinnaswamy Stadium and submitted its report.

Since Venkatesh Prasad assumed charge as KSCA president earlier this month, several meetings have been held with government officials regarding the possibility of top-flight cricket, including the IPL, returning to the venue. These discussions are subject to the stadium addressing issues highlighted in the Justice John Michael D’Cunha report, which had described the venue as highly unsafe for large gatherings.