IPL finals venue shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad amid row over tickets for MLAs, MPs

Bengaluru: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as the new venue to host the finals of the Tata IPL 2026 on May 31, withdrawing the high-profile cricketing event from Bengaluru amid the recent row over demand for tickets to MLAs and MPs.

The decision left both cricket fans and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) disappointed, while close observers of the sport blamed the state government for the BCCI’s decision.

“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,” the BCCI said in a statement, which led to interpretations.


The trigger for the BCCI’s decision is suspected to be demands from the government to give at least three tickets to MLAs, MLCs and MPs.

After coming under intense pressure, the KSCA, in March last week, agreed to demands to give tickets to the lawmakers to watch the IPL matches on March 28 and April 5 in Bengaluru. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar led the talks with KSCA President Venkatesh Prasad on a direction from Assembly Speaker UT Khader.

Shivakumar, however, said he would give a befitting reply to the BCCI if it openly said so. "Let them make such a statement. I will give an appropriate response to that," he told the media.

The Dy CM, however, rejected the possibility of demand for tickets to MLAs influencing the BCCI decision. He suggested that the stadium in Ahmedabad being a larger one could be the reason. He also maintained that in other places half the tickets are reserved, suggesting that the elected representatives would get a higher share of tickets in other places.

The Speaker came under pressure from MLAs from across the political spectrum who raised a demand in the assembly session for tickets for lawmakers for the matches played in Bengaluru.