The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Wednesday expressed its disappointment after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shifted the IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
In a statement earlier in the day, the BCCI said the summit clash, originally slated for Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, had been moved “owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols.” The final will now be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31.
Reacting to the development, KSCA said it wished “to place on record a clarification regarding the hosting of the IPL Playoffs & Finals in Bengaluru.”
“At the outset, KSCA expresses its disappointment that the IPL Playoff matches have been allotted to other centres,” the statement read. It added that KSCA president and former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad had “personally” engaged with the BCCI and formally conveyed the state association’s “preparedness, willingness, and keen interest” in hosting the matches.
KSCA further highlighted that IPL matches in Bengaluru this season had been “widely appreciated for their smooth execution, crowd management, operational efficiency, and overall spectator experience.”
The association also clarified that its communication to the BCCI was “purely factual, operational, and clarificatory in nature,” aimed at ensuring “transparency and clarity regarding logistical and stakeholder-related requirements associated with hosting such high-profile matches.”
While stating that “the specific reasons” behind the decision had not been formally communicated, KSCA said it “fully respects[s] the prerogative and decision-making authority of the BCCI in this regard.”
Published on May 06, 2026
