BCCI Apex Council to discuss norms for IPL victory celebrations after Bengaluru stampede

New Delhi: The formulation of standard guidelines for IPL victory celebrations, in the wake of the tragic stampede at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives, will be among the key items on the agenda when the BCCI holds its 28th Apex Council Meeting on Saturday.

The tragedy occurred last Wednesday when nearly 2.5 lakh fans thronged the stadium and its surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars, leading to a stampede that left 11 dead and 56 injured.

While the BCCI acknowledged that the celebrations could have been better managed, the matter will now be formally deliberated during the meeting.

"The need of formulation of norms for IPL victory celebration will be discussed during the meeting," a BCCI source said.

Age-verification rules, NZ series venues on agenda

The finalisation of venues for the upcoming India-New Zealand series will also be up for discussion, while the Council is also expected to review the existing Age Verification Programme — a mechanism aimed at curbing age-fudging in age-group cricket, particularly in the Under-16 (boys) and Under-15 (girls) categories.

Another matter likely to be taken up is the complaint filed in April 2025 by Karimnagar District Cricket Association president V. Agam Rao. He alleged irregularities in the utilisation of funds allocated for cricket infrastructure development in Telangana districts.

Acting on the complaint, BCCI Ombudsman Justice Arun Mishra directed the Apex Council to take appropriate action, and the matter will be discussed during Saturday’s meeting.

Other agenda items are discussions on the BCCI Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials, the tournament allowance policy for BCCI employees, updates on the 2025–26 domestic season, and matters related to umpire and match referee coaches.