The schedule for the IPL 2026 playoffs was released on Wednesday (April 6), with Ahmedabad set to host the final for the fourth time since 2022.
Ahmedabad set to host third consecutive IPL final
This year's playoffs fixtures were only confirmed on Wednesday, and will take place across three venues; the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Notably, this is the third year in a row that the venue in Ahmedabad will host the IPL final, and the fourth time in five years. The venue was opened in 2020, and has also hosted two World Cup finals; the men's ODI World Cup in 2023 and men's T20 World Cup in 2026.
In the IPL, the venue of the final is usually the home venue of the team that won the title the previous year. This custom began in the 2011 season, but has not been followed strictly, usually due to logistical difficulties.
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The 2022 season was held in a caravan format across six venues due to Covid-19 restrictions – in that year, the final was held in Ahmedabad. When the league returned to the home-and-away format in 2023, the venue hosted the final once again, as the home side Gujarat Titans lifted the trophy in 2022.
GT were within a ball of winning the 2023 title, but were defeated by Chennai Super Kings. Following tradition, the 2024 final was hosted by the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and won by Kolkata Knight Riders.
The 2025 final should have been hosted by Eden Gardens, but after the IPL was suspended for a week following military hostilities between India and Pakistan, the BCCI shifted the venue to Ahmedabad, "keeping in mind the weather conditions and other parameters." No further explanation was provided.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL in 2025, but their home venue of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been plagued by issues. A stampede following the title win resulted in the deaths of eleven people, following which the venue required extra clearance to host games during the 2026 season. It hosted five matches this year, but has now missed out on the final.
"Bengaluru was originally designated to host the Final," the BCCI said. "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."
Reports in the local press have suggested that issues around politicians in Karnataka demanding free tickets, citing their VIP status, hampered chances of the final taking place in Bengaluru. While these uncertainties have provided reason to hold the final outside Bengaluru, once again no explanation was offered as to why it had to be in Ahmedabad instead.
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