With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) holding delight of place as reigning champion, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was slated to host the grand affair.
| Photo Credit: Okay. MURALI KUMAR
Cricket followers in Bengaluru had been heartbroken on Wednesday, as it was introduced that the town would lose out on internet hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 closing.
With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) holding delight of place as reigning champion, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was slated to host the grand affair. But in a shocking improvement, an IPL media advisory defined that the match can be moved to Ahmedabad owing to “certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols.”
Out of playoff schedule
Bengaluru has additionally been fully shut out of the playoff schedule, with Dharamshala and New Chandigarh set to host the Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2 and Eliminator outings. Before the beginning of the season, the Karnataka State Cricket Association was assured that Bengaluru can be allotted the Qualifier 2 fixture together with the ultimate.
Deputy Chief Minister D.Okay. Shivakumar dismissed hypothesis that Bengaluru was sidelined due to MLAs demanding match passes. “Ahmedabad has a large stadium and more people can attend – that must be the reason the IPL final was shifted there. There is no connection between distributing tickets to MLAs and the shifting of the final match,” Mr. Shivakumar stated.
Former Karnataka cricketer Anand Katti expressed his disappointment on the change in venue. “It is very unfortunate. I believe that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has the best crowd and energy. Even the players love to play here. A lot of effort has been put in to bring IPL matches to Bengaluru. It would have been ideal to have the final also here,” Mr. Katti stated.
Why all the time Ahmedabad?
The choice to shift the IPL closing from Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to Narendra Modi Stadium has drawn robust reactions from Royal Challengers Bengaluru followers, lots of whom questioned why Ahmedabad was chosen. While some followers stated shifting the ultimate was comprehensible given issues after final 12 months’s stampede and the restricted capability of Chinnaswamy Stadium, many criticised the BCCI, saying main IPL matches are repeatedly being taken to Ahmedabad.
It will be recalled that final 12 months too, IPL 2025 finals was shifted out of Kolkata, house floor of the then champions Kolkata Knight Riders to Ahmedabad.
IT marketing consultant and RCB fan Sameer M. Havanoor, who attended a league stage match between RCB and Sun Risers Hyderabad within the metropolis, termed it a giant miss. Mr. Havanoor said that the brand new measures within the stadium to guarantee fan security handed muster, including that these protocols might have been used within the closing as effectively.
“The league stage matches were smoothly organised. There was a big police presence, and there were big signboards everywhere to educate the public about the new measures. The stadium is well equipped to host the final. It is disappointing, especially since RCB is doing well and could reach the final,” Mr. Havanoor stated.
Rahul Kumar, one other RCB fan, stated the BCCI ought to clarify the choice clearly. “BCCI should write an apology note to fans and mention the reason why Chinnaswamy lost the right to host. Why is it always Ahmedabad? IPL fans should boycott this,” he stated.
(With extra inputs from Rishita Khanna)
Published – May 06, 2026 10:10 pm IST
