Bengaluru feels deprived at 'losing out' final to Ahmedabad

There are no prizes for guessing that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has become a default venue for all marquee cricket matches in the country — and the IPL 2026 final will be no exception.

The schedule for the play-offs and final released by BCCI on Wednesday, 6 May, says the final will be held in Ahmedabad on 31 May and not in Bengaluru as per IPL tradition, which is that the home venue of the defending champions is allotted the season opener and the final, while the first qualifier and eliminator is allotted to a different city and the second qualifier is held at the same venue as the final for logistical reasons.

While Bengaluru (home to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru) hosted the season-opener on 28 March, the final has been shifted to Ahmedabad, making this the second year in a row that the home ground of the previous year’s winners has been deprived.

IPL 2025 saw Eden Gardens losing out on both the second qualifier and final to Ahmedabad ostensibly owing to a rain forecast, since the season had been extended by a week owing to an interruption for Operation Sindoor.

This time around, the BCCI’s explanation for denying Bengaluru sounds vague on paper: 'Bengaluru was originally designated to host the final. However, owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols, the venue has been shifted and reassigned.'

There were unconfirmed media reports of local politicians demanding a specific number of VIP tickets to which the BCCI refused to agree, but the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) went on record saying ‘no specific reasons’ were given for the shift.

Replying to a National Herald query, KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya was unequivocal: "At the outset, KSCA expresses its disappointment that the IPL playoff matches have been allotted to other centres. KSCA president and legendary Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was personally in touch with the BCCI in this regard and had also formally conveyed KSCA’s preparedness, willingness and keen interest in hosting the IPL play-offs at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

‘’The IPL matches conducted in Bengaluru during the current season were widely appreciated for their smooth execution, crowd management, operational efficiency and overall spectator experience, reaffirming KSCA’s capability to successfully host marquee fixtures of such scale and importance. In this regard, KSCA had addressed a detailed communication to the BCCI outlining its preparedness and explaining the operational framework under which the current IPL season was conducted in Bengaluru.

‘’The communication addressed by KSCA was purely factual, operational and clarificatory in nature — intended only to provide transparency and clarity regarding logistical and stakeholder-related requirements associated with hosting such high-profile matches. Despite our preparedness and willingness to host the play-offs, we understand that the BCCI has taken a decision to allot these matches to other venues. While the specific reasons for the same have not been formally communicated to KSCA, we fully respect the prerogative and decision-making authority of the BCCI in this regard.’’

Ever since the stadium in Ahmedabad became operational in 2022, it has hosted three IPL finals (except 2024 when the final was in Chennai) and two ICC World Cup finals — in 2023 and earlier this year.  

Play-offs schedule

Qualifier 1: May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala

Eliminator: May 27 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

Qualifier 2: May 29 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

Final: May 31 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad