Venkatesh Prasad, Shanta Rangaswamy Launch KSCA Election Manifesto With 'revival Of KSCA' Agenda

YSR One Day Memorial Tournament: With "revival of KSCA” at the heart of their campaign, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, women’s cricket legend Shanta Rangaswamy, and former KSCA treasurer Vinay Mruthyunjaya unveiled their manifesto for the forthcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections, likely to be held between the end of September and November this year.

The trio placed restoring the glory of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and empowering Karnataka cricket as their top priorities. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Prasad vowed to bring back international cricket to the iconic venue while developing a vibrant, inclusive cricket ecosystem across the state.

“Our endeavour will be to rebuild and strengthen relations with the Government and civic authorities to restore M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as India’s premier cricket venue. Bring international cricket matches back to this historic ground, reinstating its stature on the global stage,” said Prasad.

Prasad, who earlier served as KSCA vice-president during Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath’s administration (2013–2016), has joined hands with Vinay, the association’s former treasurer. Pointing out the current administrative vacuum, he stressed that elections should not be delayed further.

He noted, “Since KSCA has been functioning without an elected secretary and treasurer for close to two months now, the elections must be conducted at the earliest.”

If elected, their panel has promised to honour Karnataka’s cricketing icons in a symbolic yet meaningful way. The Pavilion End of the Chinnaswamy Stadium would be named after Anil Kumble, while the Northern End would be dedicated to Rahul Dravid. Stands would also be named in honour of Shanta Rangaswamy and former BCCI Secretary C. Nagaraj.

A major plank of their manifesto is a comprehensive stadium safety audit to address recent concerns, with remedial measures implemented to transform Chinnaswamy into a world-class, ultra-modern “Smart Stadium”. Plans include digital ticketing, advanced crowd management, cutting-edge fan experience technology, and state-of-the-art facilities.

The manifesto also proposes the establishment of a world-class cricket museum inspired by Lord’s, showcasing Karnataka’s rich cricket heritage through interactive exhibits, digital archives, and virtual reality experiences of historic moments. Alongside, official merchandise and memorabilia would be launched to engage fans.

Speaking about cricketing development across levels, Vinay underlined the panel’s vision: “Our team will also work towards organising structured tournaments at all age levels, ensuring timely completion before selection cycles. Revive the prestigious YSR One Day Memorial Tournament and Group II competitions. Restore the grandeur and competitive quality of the Maharaja T20 Tournament. Facilitate reciprocal overseas tours for elite cricketers across all age groups, and most importantly, the recognition of former state cricketers and benefits for their families.”

Women’s cricket, a critical focus area, was outlined by Shanta Rangaswamy. “We will launch structured leagues equivalent to men’s tournaments for all age brackets and introduce inter-school and inter-college cricket tournaments to nurture young female talent. Strategic planning to elevate the stature and quality of the Maharani T20 Tournament and enable reciprocal overseas tours for elite women cricketers is also part of our manifesto,” she said.

The panel’s infrastructure roadmap covers major projects across Karnataka. Pending work at Alur, Belgaum, and Hubli will be completed, while new turf grounds with signature pavilions are planned for Hassan, Davangere, Raichur, and Gadag. There are also ambitious proposals for building a world-class stadium in Mysuru and expanding facilities in other key centres.

On the developmental front, the manifesto details a revival of the Karnataka Cricket Academy, to be led by a legendary former cricketer. It proposes involving former state players as mentors and coaches, setting up zonal academies across Karnataka, and providing scholarships for underprivileged cricketers.

Specialised training programmes for umpires, scorers, physiotherapists, analysts, and coaches, along with a dedicated counselling cell for young players, also form part of the academy vision.

The manifesto emphasises zonal cricket decentralisation, promising to host most BCCI matches at zonal centres, expand turf pitches across districts, and encourage structured cricket for all age groups. Importantly, equal emphasis will be placed on promoting women’s cricket development in all districts.

Specialised training programmes for umpires, scorers, physiotherapists, analysts, and coaches, along with a dedicated counselling cell for young players, also form part of the academy vision.

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The roadmap sets out clear timelines. Immediate initiatives include addressing the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede inquiry, implementing judicial and government-recommended safety measures, securing permissions to resume hosting matches, and restarting grassroots tournaments with definitive schedules.

Article Source: IANS