IPL 2026 final to be held in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru misses out
The IPL 2026 final will be played in Ahmedabad despite defending champions RCB originally being in line to host it in Bengaluru. Dharamshala and New Chandigarh will stage the remaining playoff matches after the BCCI's venue reshuffle.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final is heading to Ahmedabad, with the Narendra Modi Stadium set to host the title clash on May 31 despite defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru originally being in line to stage the summit clash. The decision comes after a mix of operational concerns and political noise surrounding ticket allocation in Bengaluru.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially cited “operational and logistical considerations” for shifting the playoffs across multiple venues, sources have indicated that the recent controversy involving complimentary IPL tickets for Karnataka MLAs also played a role behind the scenes.
The decision means Bengaluru will miss out on hosting not just the IPL 2026 final, but any playoff match altogether, despite the long-standing tradition of defending champions receiving hosting rights for the title clash.
The BCCI also confirmed on Tuesday that Qualifier 1 will be played in Dharamshala, while both the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will take place in New Chandigarh before the tournament concludes in Ahmedabad.
It also means the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the IPL final for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
WHY DID BENGALURU MISS OUT ON IPL 2026 FINAL?
Interestingly, this comes less than a year after Bengaluru’s handling of RCB’s title celebrations came under scrutiny following the crowd-management chaos outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium that led to multiple deaths.
Now, the city’s latest IPL ticket controversy appears to have added another layer to the conversation.
Officially, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the playoffs were being shifted across venues due to “operational and logistical considerations.”
"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 said in its statement.
But the noise around Bengaluru had already been building for weeks.
Earlier this 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 soon snowballed politically, forcing Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to step in. A compromise was eventually reached, with MLAs, MLCs and MPs being allotted three complimentary tickets each for matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Even then, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara later clarified that the tickets would remain non-transferable and could only be used by family members.
IPL 2026 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
The playoffs will now be spread across three venues, with Dharamshala, New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad sharing hosting duties.
IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule:
- Qualifier 1 – May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
- Eliminator – May 27 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
- Qualifier 2 – May 29 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
- Final – May 31 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Meanwhile, RCB themselves remain firmly in the playoff race. The defending champions currently sit second on the table with 12 points from nine matches and are still very much in contention to return to the final, even if it will now be played away from Bengaluru.
The schedule also creates a significant recovery advantage for the winner of Qualifier 1. That team will get four full days to recover, travel from Dharamshala to Ahmedabad and prepare for the final.
The road is far more demanding for everyone else.
The loser of Qualifier 1 will have to quickly regroup for another knockout clash in New Chandigarh three days later, while the winner of the Eliminator faces the toughest turnaround of all, potentially playing two knockout matches in less than 72 hours before travelling to Ahmedabad for the final.