With plans underway to significantly upgrade the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Karnataka State Cricket Association has initiated long-term renovations aimed at increasing capacity and the overall fan experience.This move comes soon after the KSCA officials led by the President. Venkatesh Prasadmet Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will discuss an ambitious expansion plan. The proposal is to add an additional 20,000 seats to the stadium’s seating capacity, currently around 34,000.
Taking the first formal step, the KSCA has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI), inviting proposals for a comprehensive revision. The project will include architectural and structural redesign, improved spectator facilities, improved crowd movement systems as well as upgraded parking and traffic management solutions.While no firm date has been set yet, Prasad acknowledged the scale and complexity of the project.“We have not set a timeline to complete the renovation as it is a long process,” Prasad told Deccan Herald. “We have to invite bids and hold several meetings to get various approvals. It will take a long time. But we are committed to changing the stadium hopefully during my tenure.”Prasad also clarified that the idea has been in the works for years and is not a sudden initiative.“It’s not like I just came into office and want to make changes immediately,” he asserted. “I have been thinking about this for the last 10 years. Even when I was doing my MBA in International Sports Management, I kept coming back to one thing – the spectators. They are our biggest stakeholders, yet they have very little to say. The game is because of them, and the least we can do is provide the best match experience in the stadium.“Highlighting the need for modernization, he pointed out that the venue, originally built in the 1970s, should now evolve with the rapid growth of the city.“The stadium is definitely old enough. With all due respect to those who built it, it needs to be developed. It was built in the 1970s with a vision for the next 50 years perhaps. But Bengaluru has gone beyond what anyone imagined, so everything should be developed accordingly.”He visited other famous Indian venues like Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens and M. O Chidambaram Stadium, asserting that now is the time for Chinnaswamy to undergo a similar transformation.“A lot of the facilities in the stadium at the moment look temporary and inadequate. Commentators’ boxes, spectator facilities… all that needs to be changed, and that’s just permanent,” he added.With Bengaluru continuing to grow as a major cricket hub, the proposed renovation could mark a major step towards bringing one of India’s most iconic venues in line with modern standards.
