Venky is ready to make an impact" - Kumble supports Prasad for the KSCA position

Venky is ready to make an impact" - Kumble supports Prasad for the KSCA position

President Election: Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad announced his candidature for the president’s post in the upcoming Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections.

Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has pledged to restore top-level cricket at Bengaluru’s iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium if elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in the upcoming elections on November 30. Prasad has joined forces with Sujith Somasunder, a former India and Karnataka opener, and their campaign has received strong backing from cricket legends Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath.

Both Prasad and Somasunder have prior experience in KSCA administration, having served during Kumble and Srinath’s tenure as president and secretary, respectively. Prasad was vice-president, while Somasunder, currently head of education at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, was part of the managing committee. Their team also includes former India Women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy and V Kalpana. While Rangaswamy is ineligible to contest due to age restrictions, Kalpana is expected to play a role in the committee.

Prasad’s main rival in the election is KN Shanth Kumar, supported by veteran administrator Brijesh Patel. Kumar, a former Indian Golf Union board member, represented India as a non-playing captain at the 2002 Asian Games.

Anil Kumble voiced his support for Prasad, expressing concern over the decline of Karnataka cricket. He highlighted the lack of representation from the state in India’s recent Women’s World Cup triumph and criticised the neglect of cricketers and fans. Kumble also referred to the tragic stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory parade, calling June 4 a “black day” and urging Prasad’s team to restore the stadium’s legacy.

Prasad emphasised the need for constructive engagement with the Karnataka government to resolve ongoing issues. The stadium has only hosted club matches recently, missing out on major events like the Women’s World Cup final due to disputes stemming from the stampede incident. Power supply to the stadium was also cut off by BESCOM over fire safety non-compliance, though it has since been restored following KSCA’s submission of a compliance undertaking.

Somasunder stressed the importance of phased renovation work to meet safety standards, even if increasing seating capacity isn’t feasible. Prasad also revealed plans to establish a full-fledged women’s cricket academy at the same site where the National Cricket Academy once operated, aiming to boost opportunities and infrastructure for women’s cricket in the state.