The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) responded on Tuesday. BCCIThe decision to shift the IPL 2026 playoffs and final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad, expressed disappointment at the decision, stressing that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was all set to host the marquee fixture.In an official explanatory note issued hours after the BCCI confirmed Ahmedabad as the venue for the IPL 2026 final, the KSCA said it has formally conveyed its ‘readiness, willingness and keen interest’ in hosting the said fixture.
“At the outset, the KSCA expresses its disappointment that the IPL play-off matches have been allocated to other centres,” the statement said.The association also revealed that KSCA president and former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad Was personally in touch with BCCI regarding Bengaluru’s hosting rights.“KSCA President and legendary Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad was personally in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in this regard and formally conveyed KSCA’s readiness, willingness and keen interest in hosting the IPL Playoffs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.”The clarification came after the BCCI confirmed earlier on the first day of its playoff schedule announcement that the IPL 2026 final has been shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad due to ‘certain operational and logistical considerations’.BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said in a media advisory, “Bangalore was originally nominated to host the final. However, due to certain demands from the local association and authorities which were outside the scope of BCCI established guidelines and protocols, the venue has been changed and reassigned.”Although the BCCI did not specify these requirements, the KSCA strongly defended its operational track record and suggested that the arrangements made after this season were no different from previous years.“The IPL matches held in Bengaluru during the current season were widely appreciated for their smooth running, crowd management, operational efficiency, and overall spectator experience,” KSCA said.The association further clarified that it had already sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining the operational framework under which the IPL matches would be held in Bengaluru.“Most of these arrangements and protocols have been consistently followed since the inception of the IPL in 2008 and have been uniformly implemented during the current season, including during the first playoff matches held in Bengaluru,” the statement said.
‘No specific reason given for shift’
Importantly, the KSCA also said that the ‘specific reasons’ behind the shift were not formally communicated to them by the BCCI.“Although the specific reasons for this have not been formally communicated to the SCA, we fully respect the BCCI’s prerogative and decision-making authority in this regard,” it added.The development has sparked significant debate as defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore were initially expected to host the IPL final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.Instead, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will now host the IPL final for the fourth time in five seasons, having also hosted the summit in 2022, 2023 and 2025.As reported by timesofindia.com. Before todayit is understood that the ongoing administrative mess over tickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium forced the board to shift the title clash back to the venue where the final of the 2025 edition was hosted.
