NEW DELHI: The Bengaluru stadium where 11 cricket fans died during celebrations in June will no longer host Women’s World Cup matches including the opening game, the sport’s governing body said on Friday.

Mumbai will instead be one of the four Indian venues for the 50-over tournament starting on Sept 30, along with the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

The International Cricket Council cited “unforeseen circumstances” for moving games away from Chinnaswamy Stadium, without saying the specific reasons.

However, local media has said that police denied permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association to host major matches at the stadium.

On June 4, a victory parade by hundreds of thousands of fans for Inidan Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru turned deadly, with fans as young as 14 crushed to death and about 50 others hurt as supporters swarmed outside the gates of the venue.

The stadium was subsequently deemed “unsafe” by a judicial commission to host large crowds.

The opening match of the World Cup, between co-hosts India and Sri Lanka, will now be played in Guwahati.

Bengaluru had been scheduled to stage up to five World Cup games including the November 2 final, depending on whether Pakistan reach the title decider. Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo as part of a compromise deal as relations between India and Pakistan remain tense particularly after their brief but intense war in May.

The final will now be played in either Mumbai or Colombo.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025