The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was not chosen to host the IPL 2026 final, despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru being the defending champion. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia revealed that the decision was made because the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) allegedly requested complimentary tickets exceeding their permitted quota.
Saikia explained that IPL protocol dictates that host associations receive 15% of the total seating capacity as complimentary tickets. However, the KSCA requested a much higher number of tickets, including additional allocations for members, affiliated clubs, local MLAs, MLCs, and the government of Karnataka. This led the BCCI to move the final to Narendra Modi Stadium, with Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala and the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.
Following the announcement of the venues, the KSCA expressed disappointment. Association president Venkatesh Prasad was unavailable for comment. The IPL 2026 final is scheduled for May 31. The decision to change venues was made after the KSCA’s requests for extra tickets exceeded the standard allocation.
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