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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Wednesday that a decision on allowing the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at Chinnaswamy stadium would be taken after discussing it in Thursday's Cabinet meeting.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the newly elected President of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), Venkatesh Prasad, at the Circuit House, Shivakumar said, "We have no intention of stopping cricket matches at (M) Chinnaswamy stadium, but we have to think of crowd control measures. We will also have to incorporate Michael D Cunha committee suggestions in a phased manner. Venkatesh Prasad has also agreed to it. Our government is committed to cricket and cricket fans without denting the reputation of the state." "The newly elected President of KSCA and his team met us today seeking the government's cooperation. We will not allow any of the matches including IPL matches to be shifted out of Bengaluru. We will have to work together on this. Our government has also come forward to build new stadiums. I wish Venkatesh Prasad and his team, who are supported by Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble, all the best," he added. Earlier, Prasad described the meeting with Karnataka's CM and DyCM as "extremely positive" and "fruitful", saying they'll discuss in cabinet and assembly to bring back international cricket and IPL to iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn't hosted marquee matches since a stampede outside the ground that claimed 11 lives during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebration on June 4. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also prefer to host the Duleep Trophy and 'A' series between India and South Africa at the Centre of Excellence. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was scheduled to host five ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 games, including the final. However, the games had to be moved out after KSCA operated without a treasurer and a secretary, who had resigned on moral grounds following the stampede. (ANI)
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