The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the IPL 2026 playoffs on Wednesday. The league’s showpiece match was originally expected to be played at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but the final has now been reassigned to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The venue will thus host the IPL final for the fourth time.
After the next three weeks of a demanding and engrossing league campaign, the tournament’s knockout phase will shift to the north. HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala will stage Qualifier 1 on May 26. The New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh will host the Eliminator on May 27, with the contest set between the teams finishing third and fourth. The same ground will then host Qualifier 2 on May 29, where the loser of Qualifier 1 will take on the winner of the Eliminator to determine the second team in the final.
The event will then move west for the season finale, with the IPL final scheduled for May 31 in Ahmedabad.
Why was the IPL 2026 final moved out of Bengaluru?
A report dated May 5 had suggested that the playoff matches were first expected to be shared between Punjab and Karnataka, given that their representative teams had reached the final last season. However, citing “certain operational and logistical considerations” mentioned in the IPL media release issued on Wednesday, the playoffs were ultimately scheduled across three cities. Punjab will still host some of the matches, but Bengaluru will no longer be the final venue.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia’s statement pointed to the key factor behind the change. The release said, “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.”
Earlier, another report had indicated that Bengaluru’s local hurdles could have disrupted the idea of giving the defending champions the chance to stage the final. The issues cited included political elements, which may have played a role in the decision to shift the match to a different city. The report also noted that while the playoffs and final were expected to be announced soon—with matches likely divided between Punjab and Karnataka—problems such as an MLA ticket arrangement in Bengaluru were creating complications. It further stated that if no resolution was reached, the BCCI would move the final to another location.
