‘Virat Kohli Factor’ Forces Vijay Hazare Matches Out of Chinnaswamy Stadium

The presence of Virat Kohli has emerged as the decisive factor behind the last-minute shifting of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches away from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with the Karnataka government advising the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to move the high-profile fixtures to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) on the outskirts of Bengaluru due to security concerns.

Wednesday's opening match between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, in which Kohli and Rishabh Pant were set to feature, will now be played behind closed doors at the CoE ground near the Aerospace Park.

A top KSCA official told UNI that the state government specifically flagged the "Virat Kohli factor" while advising the venue shift.

According to the official, the enormous crowd pull associated with Kohli, coupled with the match being scheduled during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, raised serious concerns over crowd control, traffic congestion and overall security around the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

"The government advised us to shift the match involving Virat Kohli from the Chinnaswamy Stadium to the Centre of Excellence. Considering the scale of his fan following and the festive season, we have been clearly told not to take any risk with security and safety," the official said, adding that the KSCA would fully implement the government's advice.

The directive was conveyed to the KSCA on Tuesday morning by the Karnataka Home Ministry, triggering an immediate change in venue. Both Delhi and Andhra Pradesh teams were informed ahead of their scheduled training sessions, which have also been relocated to the CoE.

This is the second venue switch in less than two weeks. The KSCA had earlier moved matches involving Kohli and Pant from Alur to the Chinnaswamy Stadium due to logistical challenges. However, the latest government intervention mandates that all Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at Chinnaswamy be conducted behind closed doors at the CoE.

Bengaluru police have assured a strong security deployment around the Centre of Excellence, which has previously hosted the Duleep Trophy, Women's World Cup warm-up matches and India A fixtures without spectators.

Sources said the KSCA had explored opening limited seating at the Chinnaswamy Stadium for around 2,000 to 3,000 spectators. The proposal was, however, rejected by the state government, which cited potential security and compliance issues and sought to avoid chaos in the city during the holiday season.

On Monday, a government-appointed committee comprising officials from the police, public works and fire safety departments inspected the Chinnaswamy Stadium and submitted its report.

Since Venkatesh Prasad assumed office as KSCA president earlier this month, discussions have intensified with government authorities over the future of high-profile cricket at the venue. The stadium remains under scrutiny following the Justice John Michael D'Cunha report, which had termed it "highly unsafe" for large gatherings.

With the venue shift now confirmed, fans in Bengaluru are set to miss out on watching Virat Kohli in action during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with his presence proving to be the central reason behind the government's security-driven decision.