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Karnataka government-appointed commission recommended that large-scale events be relocated to venues “better suited” to handle big crowds

Shashank Kishore25-Jul-2025The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is ill-equipped to host large-scale events in a safe manner. This is the finding of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede that caused the death of 11 people and injuries to more than 50 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations.In its report, the commission stated that the stadium’s “design and structure” are inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings. It further warned that continuing to hold high-attendance events at the venue would pose “unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness”.The report, which was shared with the Karnataka government and has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, indicted RCB, the franchise’s event partners DNA Entertainment, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for their role in the tragic stampede on June 4.Related

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Citing “systematic limitations”, the commission has also “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that are “better suited” to handle significant crowds. “Any future venue should adhere to international standards,” the report stated.This leaves the future events at the venue in the lurch. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is scheduled to host a number of “high-attendance” events in the next few months, including the opening game, a semi-final and potentially the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup between September and November 2025. For now, the KSCA has said that the upcoming Maharaja Trophy, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, starting on August 11, will be played behind closed doors.The report outlined several key requirements that the Chinnaswamy Stadium, among the older venues in the country (built in 1974), doesn’t have a provision for, like “purpose-built queuing and circulation areas separated from public roads, sufficient entry and exit gates to manage mass ingress and egress, integrated access to public transport and nearby tourist hubs, comprehensive emergency evacuation plans in line with global safety norms and adequate parking and drop-off facilities to accommodate large volumes of attendees”.The panel also recommended action against KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat, ex-secretary A Shankar, ex-treasurer ES Jairam – both of whom resigned citing “moral responsibility” in the aftermath of the incident – RCB vice-president Rajesh Menon, DNA Entertainment Networks MD T Venkat Vardhan and VP Sunil Mathur.It also said that police officers B Dayananda, Vikash Kumar, Shekhar HT, C Balakrishna and AK Girish – all were removed from their posts by the chief minister after the incident – were responsible for being part of the arrangement.The Karnataka government, led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who called for celebration on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha in a post on X after the victory, is expected to decide on the recommendations at the next cabinet meeting.

As we head into the November international break, it's time to review the Premier League season so far. Each side has played 11 games out of 38 and we've got a rough idea of who will be fighting for what this year. Arsenal boast a four-point lead at the top and even have half an eye on Chelsea's record of 16 goals conceded in a single campaign, while Wolves already seem destined for relegation.

However, only 10 points separate Chelsea in third place from West Ham down in 18th. With money flying around from all clubs, there's greater parity than ever. The Premier League is indeed the 'Super League'.

We at GOAL are ready to pause and reflect on the best players to date, with so much quality now splattered across the division, from the leading scorer to towering defenders, from midfield metronomes to total destroyers:

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  10Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)

  You can see why Pep Guardiola has been so enamoured with the idea of Jeremy Doku since he arrived from Rennes in 2023. The Belgian winger is easily among the best one-v-one dribblers in world football, though this standout talent has often proven frustrating when trying to turn chances into goals, either himself or by setting up others.

  The stats this season aren't too different to his usual numbers – one goal and three assists in 11 Premier League games – but Doku is doing far more to aid Manchester City's recent uptick. Rather than being marooned on an island by the touchline, he's playing far more centrally and getting into the tight spaces only he can expertly navigate so effortlessly.

  Bumping Doku into the top 10 is partially grounded in recency bias, but his Player-of-the-Match performance in Sunday's 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool was too difficult to ignore and was one of the finest individual performances of the season.

  "I want to play without any fear or doubt or anything," he told reporters. "I'm 23 years old. I hope this is not my peak level. I hope I can still improve, improve my finishing, improve my movements in the box, improve my decision-making, improve on my awareness when I have the ball – a lot. This is an unfinished product and I hope with these team-mates, and a very good coach like Pep, I can still improve."

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  9Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)

  Of all the signings Arsenal made this summer, the ones who excited supporters most upon announcement were Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze. They haven't, however, quite hit the ground running in N5, but Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi certainly has.

  He's immediately brought a heads-up attitude that has been missing from Arsenal's midfield since Granit Xhaka departed the club in 2023. Just like the days of Arsene Wenger, the Gunners' No.6 can break the lines with pinpoint passing so effortlessly. Backed up by the muscle of Declan Rice, Mikel Arteta has a rather complete duo on his hands.

  After scoring twice in a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest back in September, Arteta said of Zubimendi: "Certainly he's given us a lot of positive things, his presence, his authority on the pitch, the way he connects with the players and that composure that he's having. If he starts to add assists and goals like this, it's another dimension of a player… He was unbelievable, the two goals are very difficult to score. Martin is bringing such a presence, composure and understanding of the game that makes the team flow and play better. And on top of that, he's adding goals and assists, so that's the trajectory that we have to maintain with him."

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  8Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)

  It was hard for Manchester United to sink any lower this season, but they gave it a bloody good go for a few weeks. A slow start to the Premier League campaign, coupled with a humiliating exit to League Two side Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, followed a year that saw them finish 15th () and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham ().

  Ruben Amorim hasn't totally 'turned the Reds around' quite yet, but there are reasons to be positive, none more so than the acquisition and integration of Bryan Mbeumo, a big-money signing who is actually thriving in the intense Old Trafford spotlight. The forward already has five goals in 11 Premier League games for United – a tally which would have ranked as the squad's third-highest for all of last season – and looks every bit a player worthy of representing a club with 20 titles to their name. The Homer Simpson-inspired celebration is a bonus.

  Even United's all-time leading scorer has been hugely impressed by Mbeumo, with Wayne Rooney commenting: "Mbeumo has been consistent with his performances, I think that's the main thing. If you're consistently getting in the right positions, getting chances, you will score. When you're a forward and you score goals, you enjoy scoring goals and that feeling keeps going. His confidence is very high at the minute. Hopefully that continues because he's certainly been the best signing for United this season."

  Mbeumo took home the Premier League Player of the Month award for October and United fans must already be dreading how they may cope without him when he joins up with the Cameroon squad for their Africa Cup of Nations campaign this winter.

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  7Declan Rice (Arsenal)

  Such has been the success of Declan Rice at Arsenal that nobody even bothers to debate whether the Gunners were right to break the nine-figure mark to sign him from West Ham. "We got him half price," Gunners supporters gleefully sing from the terraces.

  This hasn't even been that outstanding of a season for Rice, not by his standards. Nonetheless, he's still providing the midfield steel that protects their dominant backline and is as important an offensive weapon – a huge part of their , if you will – as anyone else in their squad, terrorising opponents with his wicked corners and free-kicks.

  For Arsenal and England, Rice has been afforded a bit more freedom this term and for good reason. "I can play No.6 or No.8," he said recently. "I think now I am more of a box-to-box No.8. The manager has adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year, given me a bit more freedom to drop deep, but also get in the box when I can. It is the same with Thomas [Tuchel]. I think that really suits me on that left side of midfield. Being able to get back to being an all-round action midfielder is what I want to be, and I am just enjoying my football.

  "I have got two managers who lay it out really easy with the game plan, what I have to do and where I have to be. Obviously, I am the one that has to go and execute it, but when you have confidence in football, you feel unstoppable at times. I ended the season really strong last year and probably didn’t start one or two games of this season as good as I wanted, but I have picked up my form now. I feel really strong. I feel fit, really confident in my game, and hopefully the only way is up from here for England and Arsenal."

Halloween might now be over for another year, but that didn’t stop Newcastle United from showing their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies away at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this tie against Nuno Espirito Santo’s dejected hosts, Newcastle had collected three wins from their last three games in all competitions.

But, regardless of this run of wins, their poor away record in the Premier League this season continued on at the London Stadium, as Nuno was gifted his first Hammers victory as manager, off the back of the Toon collapsing to a 3-1 loss.

Of course, West Ham did have some genuine moments of quality to thank for their much-needed win, as Lucas Paqueta smashed home this sweetly struck equaliser late into the first half.

Yet, they were definitely boosted by a charitable defensive showing throughout from the away side, too, with Nick Pope perhaps wishing he had done better with this opener, in hindsight.

Newcastle's worrying defensive display

Newcastle would have been the definite favourites for this tie during the pre-match build-up, with West Ham going 247 days without a home victory heading into their showdown with Eddie Howe and Co.

Football is very rarely played to the script, though, with the Newcastle defence that looked rock-solid mid-week when comfortably beating Tottenham Hotspur, replaced by a shoddy, error-prone backline at the London Stadium.

It was the exact same defence, too, minus Sven Botman coming back into the first team mix ahead of Fabian Schar. Howe would have very much regretted making this call in first-half stoppage time, when Botman inexplicably placed a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, past his own goalkeeper, to hand West Ham a slim 2-1 advantage.

The Dutchman wasn’t alone in having an off-day at the back, though, with Emil Krafth hooked off at the half-time mark after he had managed to win zero duels or zero tackles, as Howe desperately wished he had Kieran Trippier available in his spot, instead.

Aaron Ramsdale will also feel he’s in with a slight shout to usurp Pope in between the sticks after a clean sheet was picked up by the ex-Arsenal ‘keeper versus Spurs, with the former Burnley stopper an unsteady pair of gloves, again, when he spilt a late effort into Tomas Soucek’s path to tie up the win for the hosts.

He does have some credit in the bank, though, having kept an impressive five clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season, away from his error-strewn showing on Sunday.

Whereas, one of his other teammates defensively remains on a very precarious tight-rope when it comes to being selected in the starting XI, after a campaign full of disastrous performances.

Howe must drop 3/10 Newcastle star

Howe really did experiment with his XI in East London, as the likes of William Osula, Jacob Ramsey, and Anthony Elanga were all thrown into the first-team action at some point during the chaotic clash.

The 47-year-old’s widespread tinkering did very little to turn the game on its head, though, as Dan Burn struggled throughout as a left-back once more.

In the past, the 6-foot-7 giant has excelled in the left-back spot, as seen in his collecting six goals when selected on the left-hand side from 78 appearances and counting.

But, in the here and now, it’s clear that the ageing number 33 is no longer well suited to a full-back role, with one Newcastle-based content creator’s comments earlier in the season that Burn being selected regularly here is the “stuff of nightmares” very much ringing true against Nuno’s spirited hosts.

Indeed, the Blyth-born defender would offer very little to Howe and Co’s cause in the forward areas, with zero dribbles attempted.

On top of that, Burn would also fail to win a single tackle or a single ground duel during the 3-1 defeat, leading to Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin handing him a disappointing 3/10 score post-match.

It’s surely the correct time, now, for Lewis Hall to gain more first-team experience in the left-back spot, over Burn, who is showing no signs, as of late, that he’s cut out for this demanding position long term.

Hall was back on the bench, too, at the London Stadium, after a lengthy absence out of the first team fold through injury, as Howe now contemplates ditching his long-standing servant for the promising youngster, as Champions League football returns to St James’ Park mid-week.

Howe can drop Jacob Ramsey by unleashing underperforming Newcastle star

Newcastle travel to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 2, 2025