The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs on Wednesday, with the tournament finale set for 31 May at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The league\u2019s earlier plan had pointed to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru as the venue for the final, but the BCCI\u2019s updated announcement now reflects a revised hosting arrangement. In the same release, the board also named the venues for Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, and Qualifier 2, assigning two separate grounds to stage these three playoff matches.<\/p>\n
Notably, Bengaluru was not given either an Eliminator or a qualifier game, even though Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the defending champions. The BCCI\u2019s move was linked to \u201cpolitical complications,\u201d which influenced how match locations were ultimately allocated.<\/p>\n
In its statement, the BCCI said: \u201cOwing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case.\u201d It added that Bengaluru had initially been selected to stage the final, but the ground was later shifted and reassigned. The board attributed the change to requirements raised by the local association and authorities that, in its view, fell outside the BCCI\u2019s established guidelines and standard protocols.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports on Tuesday highlighted that political issues in Bengaluru, especially those connected to MLA tickets, were creating difficulties for the BCCI in hosting the IPL 2026 final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. A source close to the developments said the playoffs and final venues would be clarified soon, and suggested that the matches could be split between Punjab and Karnataka. The source also pointed out that, under normal circumstances, the team that finished as the previous winner would be expected to host the final, but that the ticket-related problem in Bengaluru was causing roadblocks. The same report indicated that if no resolution emerged, the BCCI would consider moving the final to another city.<\/p>\n
Before the start of the IPL 2026 campaign\u2014when Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener\u2014Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar had called for a system where every MLA should be allocated at least five IPL tickets. He argued that elected representatives are \u201cVIPs\u201d and should not have to queue for access.<\/p>\n
After Kashappanavar\u2019s remarks, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that three match tickets for RCB games during the ongoing season would be provided to MLAs and MPs. He linked the decision to ensuring elected representatives were accommodated for matches.<\/p>\n
Following Shivakumar\u2019s comments, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara rejected claims that IPL tickets were being misused by MLAs in the state. He explained that tickets are purchased through online booking and are attended only by those who complete the purchase themselves.<\/p>\n
Parameshwara also stated that attendance at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is limited to MLAs and their family members. He said the tickets are clearly marked as \u201cnon-transferable,\u201d adding that others cannot use them to gain entry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs on Wednesday, with the tournament…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026 Final Venue Shift: BCCI Updates Bengaluru to Ahmedabad","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2026 final moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad\u2014BCCI reveals the reason behind the venue switch and confirms key playoff dates for the showdown.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n