Bengaluru was ready for IPL Final and playoffs: KSCA responds after BCCI decision
IPL 2026: The Karnataka State Cricket Association said it had told the BCCI it was ready to host the IPL 2026 playoffs in Bengaluru. The response followed the board's decision to move the final to Ahmedabad and the other matches elsewhere.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association has expressed disappointment after Bengaluru missed out on hosting the IPL 2026 playoffs and final despite originally being designated as the venue for the summit clash. KSCA, in an official statement released on Wednesday, said it had formally informed the BCCI about its readiness and willingness to host the marquee matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The clarification comes just moments after the BCCI confirmed that the IPL 2026 final will now be played in Ahmedabad, while Dharamshala and New Chandigarh will host the other playoff matches. Speaking through an official statement issued by spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, KSCA said the association had fully communicated its preparedness to the board.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
The statement is the first official response from KSCA since Bengaluru lost hosting rights for not just the final, but all playoff matches despite the long-standing IPL convention of defending champions hosting the title clash.
WHY DID BENGALURU MISS OUT ON IPL 2026 FINAL?
Officially, the BCCI cited “operational and logistical considerations” behind the venue reshuffle.
“Owing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case. 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,” the board had said in its statement.
But the controversy around Bengaluru had been building for weeks.
Earlier in the season, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar publicly demanded complimentary IPL tickets for elected representatives, arguing that MLAs were “VIPs” and should not have to stand in queues like regular fans.
The issue quickly turned political, forcing Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to intervene before a compromise was reached involving complimentary tickets for MLAs, MLCs and MPs.
Sources had earlier indicated that the growing noise around ticket allocation, combined with logistical concerns, played a role in the BCCI’s decision to shift the playoffs away from Bengaluru.
The move also means Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host the IPL final for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
WHAT KSCA SAID AFTER IPL FINAL VENUE SHIFT
In its statement, KSCA said the communication sent to the BCCI was purely operational and meant to explain the framework under which IPL matches had been conducted in Bengaluru this season.
“Most of these arrangements and protocols have been consistently followed since the inception of the IPL in 2008 and were implemented uniformly during the current season as well, including during earlier playoff matches hosted at Bengaluru,” the statement said.
“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.”
KSCA also said that while the exact reasons behind the venue shift were never formally communicated, the association respected the BCCI’s decision.
“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 association further added that it remains committed to hosting major cricket events in the future and will continue supporting the BCCI and other stakeholders.
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The Karnataka State Cricket Association has expressed disappointment after Bengaluru missed out on hosting the IPL 2026 playoffs and final despite originally being designated as the venue for the summit clash. KSCA, in an official statement released on Wednesday, said it had formally informed the BCCI about its readiness and willingness to host the marquee matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The clarification comes just moments after the BCCI confirmed that the IPL 2026 final will now be played in Ahmedabad, while Dharamshala and New Chandigarh will host the other playoff matches. Speaking through an official statement issued by spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, KSCA said the association had fully communicated its preparedness to the board.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
The statement is the first official response from KSCA since Bengaluru lost hosting rights for not just the final, but all playoff matches despite the long-standing IPL convention of defending champions hosting the title clash.
WHY DID BENGALURU MISS OUT ON IPL 2026 FINAL?
Officially, the BCCI cited “operational and logistical considerations” behind the venue reshuffle.
“Owing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case. 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,” the board had said in its statement.
But the controversy around Bengaluru had been building for weeks.
Earlier in the season, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar publicly demanded complimentary IPL tickets for elected representatives, arguing that MLAs were “VIPs” and should not have to stand in queues like regular fans.
The issue quickly turned political, forcing Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to intervene before a compromise was reached involving complimentary tickets for MLAs, MLCs and MPs.
Sources had earlier indicated that the growing noise around ticket allocation, combined with logistical concerns, played a role in the BCCI’s decision to shift the playoffs away from Bengaluru.
The move also means Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host the IPL final for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
WHAT KSCA SAID AFTER IPL FINAL VENUE SHIFT
In its statement, KSCA said the communication sent to the BCCI was purely operational and meant to explain the framework under which IPL matches had been conducted in Bengaluru this season.
“Most of these arrangements and protocols have been consistently followed since the inception of the IPL in 2008 and were implemented uniformly during the current season as well, including during earlier playoff matches hosted at Bengaluru,” the statement said.
“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.”
KSCA also said that while the exact reasons behind the venue shift were never formally communicated, the association respected the BCCI’s decision.
“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 association further added that it remains committed to hosting major cricket events in the future and will continue supporting the BCCI and other stakeholders.
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