BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has explained why the board decided to shift the IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
As per standard protocol, IPL defending champions are awarded the final and one more playoff game, but Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium missed out on both this season. Similarly, Kolkata Knight Riders had missed out on the final and a playoff game last year, "keeping in mind the weather conditions and other parameters," after the India-Pakistan military conflict had forced a temporary suspension of the season.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was awarded its fourth IPL final in five years, and third in three years, whereas the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala will host Qualifier 1. The New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh has been awarded the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.
Devajit Saikia: KSCA demanded over 10,000 additional tickets
While explaining the decision to shift the final out of Bengaluru, Saikia claimed that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) demanded 10,000 additional tickets over the allotted quota of 15 per cent of the total seating capacity. Moreover, the state association demanded tickets for the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), and also 700 complimentary tickets for the Karnataka government.
Also read: Why does Ahmedabad host so many big games – and does it need to?
“As per IPL protocol, we are required to provide only 15% of the total seating capacity as complimentary tickets to the host association,” he told ANI. “This constitutes the standard protocol; all host state associations receive a 15% allocation of their total capacity in the form of complimentary tickets. However, we received information from various sources indicating that during the hosting of IPL league matches, the Karnataka State Association was claiming a significantly higher number of complimentary tickets—far exceeding the stipulated 15%.
“Consequently, we sent them an email requesting precise details regarding this matter. We were shocked when we received a response via email from the Karnataka State Cricket Association on May 2nd; in that email, they stated that—over and above the 15% complimentary ticket quota—they would require an additional, substantial allocation of tickets for their members, affiliated clubs, and various others. Most surprisingly, they also requested tickets for their local Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of the Legislative Council. And also to the government of Karnataka, 700 complimentary tickets.
“Thus, over and above the 15% allocation, they were demanding approximately 10,000 additional tickets. And as you are all aware, the BCCI serves as the host body for the Playoff and Final matches. Therefore, we cannot violate our protocols by issuing tickets in excess of what is permitted under the IPL's rules and regulations—specifically, the 15% complimentary quota allocated to the host state.”
Notably, the Chinnaswamy Stadium was only cleared to host IPL 2026 matches a fortnight before the start of the tournament after a stampede had resulted in the death of 11 people during RCB's title celebrations at the venue last year.
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