Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia has explained the reasons behind the late venue change for the IPL 2026 final, with the summit clash officially shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad. The announcement has triggered major discussion across the cricketing world, especially after the playoff schedule confirmed that Qualifier 1 will be played in Dharamsala on May 26, while New Chandigarh will host the Eliminator on May 27 and Qualifier 2 on May 29.
According to Saikia, the decision was linked to demands from the Karnataka State Cricket Association for complimentary tickets during the IPL season. Speaking to ANI, the BCCI secretary stated that IPL regulations clearly permit host associations to receive only 15 per cent of the total stadium capacity as complimentary tickets.
Saikia explained that this allocation is standard practice followed uniformly across all IPL venues. However, the BCCI reportedly received information suggesting that KSCA had been requesting a much larger number of complimentary tickets during league-stage matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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The BCCI then sought clarification from the association through official communication. Saikia revealed that the board was surprised by KSCA’s response on May 2. According to him, the association requested a substantial number of additional complimentary tickets beyond the permitted quota for members, affiliated clubs, and several other groups.
KSCA sought ‘10,000 extra tickets’, including for MLAs: BCCI reveals why Bengaluru lost IPL final hosting rights
— Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape) May 7, 2026
The matter became more controversial when the requests allegedly extended to political representatives and the Karnataka government. Saikia claimed that KSCA had sought complimentary tickets for local MLAs, Members of the Legislative Council, and around 700 tickets specifically for the Karnataka government. Overall, the additional request reportedly amounted to nearly 10,000 tickets over and above the approved 15 per cent allocation.
The controversy comes months after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar announced in March that MLAs would receive three complimentary tickets for IPL matches and two free tickets for international fixtures, with the option to purchase additional seats. The decision followed complaints from legislators regarding ticket access and seating arrangements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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Later, Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader also instructed the state government to ensure that every MLA received four VIP tickets for matches hosted at the venue.
The IPL 2026 final venue shift has now added another layer of controversy to an already dramatic season, with ticket allocation policies becoming a major talking point ahead of the playoffs.
