Former India cricketers Shanta Rangaswamy and Venkatesh Prasad, and ex-Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) treasurer Vinay Mruthyunjaya launched their KSCA election manifesto on Wednesday (August 20), promising to restore the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium's former glory following the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations in June.

The tragedy struck when over two lakh fans gathered for a 5 PM felicitation ceremony, causing a crowd rush that led to the death of 11 people and injured several others. A government panel later deemed the stadium "unsafe for large-scale events", forcing cricket out of the Chinnaswamy. The stadium has lost international matches, the Maharaja T20 has been moved out, and the Women's ODI World Cup opener, semifinals and potentially the final have all been denied to the venue.

"We would like to bring back international cricket," said Prasad, who previously served as KSCA vice-president from 2013-2016. He is set to contest the KSCA elections alongside Mruthyunjaya later this year. "Every international match has been moved out of Bangalore. It's such an iconic venue, Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has been standing for the last 50 years. This is something which has never happened. Even our own Maharaja Cup has also been moved out which is not a good thing," Prasad noted.

The team's immediate priority, if it comes to power, is addressing safety concerns that led to the stampede. The June tragedy exposed fundamental design flaws in the stadium, built in the 1970s, with a government report noting that entry gates open directly onto public footpaths with no organised holding areas for crowds. Mruthyunjaya outlined plans to review investigation reports from the Judicial Commission and implement comprehensive safety audits before seeking government permissions to resume hosting matches.