IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said it had become “untenable” to stage the league’s final in Bengaluru after the city’s ticketing demand from the state government collided with the limited size of the venue. He pointed to practical constraints around complimentary passes for legislators, along with broader logistics tied to a match that draws supporters from across the world.
Final shifted to Ahmedabad for capacity and ticketing reasons
Dhumal confirmed that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which can host about 1.30 lakh spectators, will stage the IPL final on May 31. Bengaluru had originally been named as the venue, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) set as the defending champions, but the decision was changed earlier this week.
On Wednesday, the BCCI stated that the final had been reassigned because of “certain requirements from the local association and authorities” that fell outside the board’s established rules and procedures. Dhumal said the challenge was not only about hosting the match itself, but also about meeting local administrative expectations within a stadium that cannot hold more than roughly 40,000.
Quick facts
- IPL final venue moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad
- Date of the final: May 31
- Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium capacity: about 1.30 lakh
- Bengaluru originally designated as the host, with RCB as defending champions
- BCCI cited local association and authority requirements outside its guidelines
- Karnataka government quota: three complimentary IPL tickets each for MLAs, MLCs and MPs
- Dhumal also referenced Bengaluru’s past “stampede” challenges and limited match-day ticket availability
Dhumal said the Karnataka government has a quota of three complimentary tickets for each category of elected representative—MLAs, MLCs and MPs. In his view, implementing that quota would have been extremely difficult at a venue with a cap of under 40,000 seats.
He also suggested that Bengaluru’s previous experience had created additional complications. “See ideally it should have been Bengaluru. We checked up with KSCA. Because what happened last year (stampede), they had some challenges,” he said, referring to concerns that had emerged in the past.
The chairman further argued that the stadium’s overall capacity translated into a shortage of tickets even for regular league games. Since an IPL final typically attracts fans internationally, he said the league needed a larger pool of tickets to meet demand.
Dhumal added that the timing also matters. “We would have the ICC board meeting around that time too, a lot of members are coming for that,” he said, linking the venue choice to the presence of international delegates and guests as well as the wider fan base.
“Winning team gets the final”—but circumstances forced the change
Asked whether Ahmedabad’s frequent hosting of the final has led to claims that the city is being favoured, Dhumal rejected the idea. He said that while the usual expectation is for the winning team’s city to be rewarded, the Bengaluru constraints made the original plan “untenable”.
“No, ideally the winning team gets the final but given the issues we touched upon, it becomes untenable to have it in Bengaluru. Let’s say if CSK won last season we would surely do it in Chennai,” he said.
Dhumal’s remarks came after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) expressed disappointment at not being given the chance to host the final. KSCA said it had done what was required to prepare for the event.
