Foundation stone for international cricket stadium in Anekal to be laid on May 23

The foundation-laying ceremony for the International Cricket Stadium at the KHB Surya Sports Village in Anekal, on Bengaluru's outskirts near the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border, will be held on Saturday.

The state government has said the proposed stadium, being developed by the Karnataka Housing Board, will be the second-largest cricket stadium in India.

Officials noted that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat is currently the largest in the country.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will lay the foundation stone for the project.

According to officials, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 80,000.

Along with the stadium, Siddaramaiah will launch the 'Namma Mane' project, lay foundation stones for the 'Surya Shine' and 'Surya Divine' residential complexes, and symbolically allot sites (plots) to landowners who have given land for housing projects at Suryanagar.

Sources said several former cricketers are also expected to attend the event.

The government has proposed the stadium to reduce dependence on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The move comes in the wake of safety concerns linked to the stadium, including a stampede during an RCB victory celebration on June 4, 2025, in which 11 people were killed, and over 50 were injured, prompting calls to shift major matches away from the venue.

The Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, which probed the incident, later declared the stadium unsuitable and unsafe for large-scale events, citing concerns over its design and infrastructure.

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, opposed the construction of the stadium near Anekal, saying fertile agricultural land should not be acquired for the project.

He questioned how the Karnataka Housing Board, whose primary mandate is housing development, could take up a stadium project.

He said the board had traditionally focused on building housing for the public and should not divert its role.

''If a stadium has to be built, let the government take it up,'' he said.

He also pointed out that the region already faces severe traffic congestion and said a stadium would further worsen mobility issues in the area.He suggested Tumakuru Road as a more suitable location for the project.

The state government has said the proposed stadium, being developed by the Karnataka Housing Board, will be the second-largest cricket stadium in India.

Officials noted that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat is currently the largest in the country.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will lay the foundation stone for the project.

According to officials, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 80,000.

Along with the stadium, Siddaramaiah will launch the 'Namma Mane' project, lay foundation stones for the 'Surya Shine' and 'Surya Divine' residential complexes, and symbolically allot sites (plots) to landowners who have given land for housing projects at Suryanagar.

Sources said several former cricketers are also expected to attend the event.

The government has proposed the stadium to reduce dependence on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The move comes in the wake of safety concerns linked to the stadium, including a stampede during an RCB victory celebration on June 4, 2025, in which 11 people were killed, and over 50 were injured, prompting calls to shift major matches away from the venue.

The Justice John Michael Cunha Commission, which probed the incident, later declared the stadium unsuitable and unsafe for large-scale events, citing concerns over its design and infrastructure.

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, opposed the construction of the stadium near Anekal, saying fertile agricultural land should not be acquired for the project.

He questioned how the Karnataka Housing Board, whose primary mandate is housing development, could take up a stadium project.

He said the board had traditionally focused on building housing for the public and should not divert its role.

''If a stadium has to be built, let the government take it up,'' he said.

He also pointed out that the region already faces severe traffic congestion and said a stadium would further worsen mobility issues in the area.

He suggested Tumakuru Road as a more suitable location for the project.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)