Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has lost the rights to host the IPL 2026 final with Ahmedabad, much to the disappointment of the Karnataka Cricket Association. Despite claims of full readiness and a strong operational record, the KSCA was informed of the shift due to unspecified “operational and logistical considerations” by the BCCI, sparking debate. Reacting to the BCCI’s decision to shift the IPL 2026 playoffs and final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Tuesday expressed disappointment at the decision while insisting that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was fully prepared to host the marquee matches.In an official clarification issued hours after the BCCI confirmed Ahmedabad as the venue for the IPL 2026 final, the KSCA said it had formally expressed its “readiness, willingness and keen interest” to host the said matches.
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Hemang Badani admits ‘perform or perish’ as DC faces must-win situation“At the outset, the KSCA expresses its disappointment that the IPL Playoff matches have been allocated to other centres,” the statement said.The association also revealed that KSCA president and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad was personally in touch with the BCCI regarding Bengaluru’s hosting rights.“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 also formally conveyed KSCA’s readiness, willingness and keen interest to host the IPL Playoffs at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium,” the statement added.The clarification comes after the BCCI confirmed in its official playoff schedule announcement earlier in the day that the IPL 2026 final has been shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad due to “certain operational and logistical considerations”.“Bengaluru was initially earmarked to host the final. Due to certain demands of the local association and authorities, which were outside the established BCCI guidelines and protocols, the venue was shifted and allocated,” BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said in a media advisory.While the BCCI did not elaborate on these demands, the KSCA strongly defended its operational record and suggested that the measures followed this season were no different from previous years.“The IPL matches held in Bengaluru during the current season have been widely appreciated for their smooth execution, crowd management, operational efficiency and overall spectator experience,” KSCA said.The association further clarified that it has already sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining the operational framework under which the IPL matches were conducted in Bengaluru.“Most of these arrangements and protocols have been strictly followed since the inception of the IPL in 2008 and have been uniformly implemented during the current season as well, including the earlier play-off matches held in Bengaluru,” the statement said.
“No specific reasons for the shifts were communicated”
Importantly, the KSCA also said that the “specific reasons” behind the shift were not formally communicated to them by the BCCI.“Though the specific reasons for the same have not been formally communicated to the KSCA, we fully respect the BCCI’s prerogative and discretion in this regard,” he added.
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This development has created significant debate given that the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were initially expected to host the IPL final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.Instead, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will now host the IPL final for the fourth time in five seasons, having also hosted the summit clash in 2022, 2023 and 2025.As reported by timesofindia.com today, it is understood that the ongoing administrative mess over tickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has forced the management to shift the title fight back to the venue of the 2025 final.
