Former Indian cricketer on Sunday, December 7 Venkatesh Prasad Elected as the new President of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in the election. He won the post of KSCA president by defeating opposition candidate KN Shanta Kumar as the former topped the list with 749 votes against 558.
Prasad was very happy with the win and believes that this win is not only personal but will also serve as a blessing for the return of high-profile cricket at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The iconic venue has not seen the light of top-tier matches since the stampede incident that took place during Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL victory parade on June 4.
“First and foremost, it's a victory for the game of cricket. Secondly, it's a victory for all the members who wanted change, a victory for all the people who wanted international cricket back at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” Prasad was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
We are going to do everything for the game: Prasad
Ahead of the elections, Prasad had received strong support from his former India and Karnataka teammates Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. He thanked both of them along with all the people who helped in his victory. In his manifesto, the 56-year-old has assured to bring back the charm in the association by reviving the IPL and international matches at one of the most iconic venues of Indian cricket.
According to Deccan Herald, Prasad said, “We are sitting here only because of all the people who have supported us, who have believed in us and supported us all the time. They believed in our cause, in our cause, they had faith in us and the members too. We are going to implement our manifesto, whatever we have said. So I thank you all for giving us the opportunity. And I am sure that we are going to make sure that we will do everything for the game.”
For those unaware, 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 IPL 2026 at Pune's Gahunje Stadium.
Meanwhile, KSCA member and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also said that the authorities will ensure that RCB matches are not shifted out of Bengaluru. Shivakumar, himself a cricket fan, has assured that apart from bringing back Chinnaswamy's reputation, he will also build a new cricket stadium in Bengaluru as an alternative.
“Will not allow IPL matches to be shifted out of Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is a matter of pride of Bengaluru and Karnataka. We will ensure that IPL matches are held here. I am a cricket fan. We will ensure that such incidents do not happen again in future and the reputation of the stadium remains intact. We will also build a new cricket stadium as an alternative,” he wrote on Twitter.
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