The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai has replaced Bengaluru as the fourth Indian venue for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup, beginning September 30. The ICC confirmed the change while announcing a revised schedule for the eight-team tournament on Friday. Guwahati will now host the opening match between India and Sri Lanka.
Navi Mumbai will stage two key group matches involving India, against New Zealand on October 23 and Bangladesh on October 26. The venue will also host Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh on October 20, the second semi-final on October 30, and the final on November 2 if Pakistan do not qualify. Other adjustments include Sri Lanka vs England shifting from Guwahati to Colombo, Bangladesh vs New Zealand moving from Visakhapatnam to Guwahati, and England vs New Zealand heading the opposite way.
The reshuffle became necessary after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) failed to secure police clearance to host games at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This followed the June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, which caused 11 deaths and multiple injuries. Authorities later deemed the stadium unsafe for large gatherings.
Before finalizing Navi Mumbai, the BCCI had considered Thiruvananthapuram as a replacement. However, limited direct flight connections to other venues made logistics difficult. Bengaluru had originally been slated to host the October 30 semi-final and the November 2 final, provided Pakistan did not qualify.
The decision is another blow to the KSCA, which has faced ongoing disputes with civic bodies and police. The Chinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any top-flight match since May 17, when rain washed out RCB’s IPL clash against Kolkata Knight Riders. Even Karnataka’s Maharaja T20 league was moved to Mysuru after authorities denied permission to hold it in Bengaluru.
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