BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia has said IPL 2026’s playoff match and the final were not assigned to Bengaluru—home of the defending champions—because the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) asked for an extra 10,000 tickets during league games. He explained that the BCCI had to take a “difficult decision” after the board was pushed beyond the complimentary-ticket framework laid out in IPL protocol.
Key takeaways
- Saikia stated Bengaluru missed out on IPL 2026 playoff and the final due to KSCA’s request for roughly 10,000 additional tickets.
- He said IPL rules cap complimentary allocations to the host state association at 15% of the venue’s total seating.
- The BCCI’s schedule placed Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala, while Q2 and the Eliminator were set for New Chandigarh.
- The final was assigned to Ahmedabad instead of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
- Saikia said BCCI could not breach the 15% complimentary-ticket limit, which the board manages for the playoff stages and final.
Why Bengaluru was left out of the IPL 2026 endgame
Saikia said that, as per established IPL protocol, state associations are entitled to 15% of the total seating at their home venues as complimentary tickets. He added that the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was originally expected to host at least one playoff fixture and also the final. However, the BCCI ultimately chose a different distribution for the knockout rounds.
Under the revised plan, Qualifier 1 was allotted to Dharamsala, Q2 and the Eliminator were scheduled in New Chandigarh, and the final was set to take place in Ahmedabad. Saikia noted that this reshuffle came after concerns over ticket numbers connected to KSCA’s hosting of IPL league matches.
KSCA’s ticket demand and the “difficult decision”
A day after the knockout venue schedule was made public, KSCA voiced disappointment at Bengaluru missing out, and Saikia then detailed the reasoning behind the board’s call. In his explanation, he stressed that the BCCI is required to provide only the fixed 15% complimentary quota to the host association, without exceeding it.
Saikia said the BCCI received signals from multiple sources suggesting that KSCA was seeking far more than the permitted share of complimentary tickets during league matches. The board then wrote to KSCA to clarify the situation and sought precise information on the demand. He said KSCA’s reply came via email on May 2, and the association indicated that beyond the 15% complimentary ticket quota, it would require a much larger additional allocation.
Saikia further claimed that the response included requests for tickets not only for KSCA members and affiliated clubs, but also for political representatives—specifically Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs). He also said KSCA requested 700 complimentary tickets for the government of Karnataka.
With these add-ons, Saikia stated KSCA’s total demand came to around 10,000 extra tickets over and above the 15% allocation. He then explained that because the BCCI functions as the host body for the playoff matches and the final, it could not issue tickets beyond what the IPL rules allow—particularly the 15% complimentary cap reserved for the host state association.
