ICC Shifts Women's World Cup Matches from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revised the venues for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, replacing Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium due to the Karnataka State Cricket Association's failure to secure necessary police approvals following a stampede during IPL celebrations. The tournament, featuring eight teams, will run from September 30 to November 2, with Navi Mumbai set to host up to five matches, including three group games, one semi-final, and potentially the final. Matches involving Pakistan, including a semi-final and possibly the final, will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a special provision for an India-Pakistan semi-final to be staged in Colombo. The other venues remain ACA Stadium in Guwahati, Holkar Stadium in Indore, and ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. ICC Chairman Jay Shah praised Navi Mumbai's growing status as a home for women's cricket and expressed confidence in the tournament's potential to be a defining milestone for the sport. The change follows the aftermath of a tragic stampede in Bengaluru that led to multiple deaths and injuries, resulting in the state government holding the local cricket authorities responsible and the removal of Bengaluru as a venue.