Karnataka runs the risk of turning the clock back by confining top-tier cricket to Bengaluru

KSCA's July 2022 unveiling of the Maharaja Trophy T20 was meant to energise cricketing activity in Karnataka, but the 2023 edition will only be held in Bengaluru. This move turns back the clock on efforts to democratise the game, while neighbouring Tamil Nadu is deepening its roots. Uneven resources and lack of turf grounds are also factors. Fans and players are disappointed.

In July 2022, at the unveiling of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had hoped that the tournament would energise cricketing activity in the state after the Covid-induced lull.

The premier T20 competition was also returning in a new avatar – earlier called the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) – after the betting scandal of 2019.

Roger Binny, then KSCA president and now the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had stated that the event would “continue the development” in the districts. “We won’t let you down,” he had promised.

A year on, it appears that the custodians haven’t quite walked the talk. The 2023 edition of the Maharaja Trophy will not feature a single match outside Bengaluru, only for the second time in 10 editions (2010-11 being the other). In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, Karnataka played all six of its home matches in Bengaluru, something that hasn’t happened in more than a decade.

“It may be because of the broadcaster,” speculated a player who was part of the Gulbarga Mystics outfit that won the Maharaja Trophy last year. “Star Sports may have given only a small window for broadcast [Aug.13 to Aug.29]. But fans outside will be disappointed.”

A former state player and veteran of over 50 First Class matches felt that monsoon may have played a role. “In Bengaluru, we have the SubAir drainage system and we can restart matches quickly once the rain stops,” he said.