KSCA is ready, ball in RCB's court, says chief Venkatesh Prasad

BENGALURU: Will defending IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru return home or look elsewhere for a base this season? With a little over two months to go before the tournament begins, the question continues to linger. While Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional approval to resume matches at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, clarity on RCB’s intent remains elusive.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“The ball is in RCB’s court,” KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad said here on Wednesday. Though RCB has actively explored alternative venues, they have not shown the same urgency in engaging with either the state association or the government. According to sources, a major sticking point is the state government’s crowd management bill, which places responsibility on organisers for any untoward incident at a public gathering. RCB, in a statement, said, “While our desire is always to play at our home ground, in front of our fans, we want to be thorough in our commitment to further understand the conditions applicable to host matches here and the measures taken to ensure fans’ safety protocols are met. Our goal is to see how best all stakeholders involved can work together.”With RCB being non-participative with dialogues with the government, Prasad said, “I also hope RCB gets more involved and engages with the government for the smooth conduct of matches. So far, it has been largely one-sided… I sincerely hope and pray Royal Challengers Bengaluru play all their home matches, including the inaugural game, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. We are confident of completing the required work within the stipulated timelines and obtaining unconditional approval from the government.”