IPL 2026 final moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad; KSCA expresses disappointment

May 6, 2026
11:31 am

The decision is similar to what transpired last year, when the IPL 2025 final was moved out of Kolkata, home of the then-reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders, to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. File picture of fans outside the Ahmedabad stadium before the 2025 final
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

The IPL 2026 final has been moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad, it was announced on Wednesday (May 6, 2026).

Dharamshala will host Qualifier 1, and New Chandigarh will host the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, leaving Bengaluru completely out of the mix in the playoff schedule.

General convention states that the final must be played at the home of the reigning champion, which in this case is Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

“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,” an IPL media advisory stated.

KSCA responds

Asked about the “requirements from the local association”, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya said, “All requirements for the conduct of the league state matches were met. The same would have applied for the playoffs.”

The KSCA later issued a statement, expressing its disappointment in the IPL playoffs being moved out of Bengaluru.

“KSCA President and legendary Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was personally in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in this regard and had also formally conveyed KSCA’s preparedness, willingness, and keen interest in hosting the IPL Playoffs at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” read the statement.

“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.”

“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.”

“Despite our preparedness and willingness to host the Playoffs, 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.”

The decision is similar to what transpired last year, when the IPL 2025 final was moved out of Kolkata, home of the then-reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders, to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. “Weather conditions and other parameters” were cited as reasons for the change in venue.

After much deliberation and suspense, the Karnataka State government and police granted permission for the conduct of IPL 2026 matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The iconic venue — sidelined after the deadly stampede last year — hosted five league stages last month, with Raipur set to host the other two “home” games on May 10 and 13.