New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday explained why Bengaluru was not selected to host the IPL 2026 final, with board secretary Devajit Saikia saying the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had sought a larger number of complimentary tickets than the allowed quota.While Dharamsala and New Chandigarh will host the other playoff matches, the final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Saikia said that IPL rules allow only 15 percent of the total stadium capacity as complimentary tickets for the host association.“As per the IPL protocol, we are required to provide only 15 per cent of the total seating capacity as complimentary tickets to the host association. It forms the standard protocol; All host state associations are allocated 15 per cent of their total capacity in the form of complimentary tickets,” Saikia said.He added that the BCCI has received reports that KSCA is demanding more tickets during the league matches of the IPL.“However, we have received information from various sources indicating that while hosting IPL league matches, the Karnataka State Association claimed that the number of complimentary tickets was much higher than the stipulated 15 percent,” Saikia said.According to Saikia, the BCCI subsequently wrote to the SCA seeking details. He said the board was surprised by the response received on May 2.“Consequently, we sent them an email requesting precise details about the matter. On May 2, we were shocked when we received a response via email from the Karnataka State Cricket Association; in that email, they said that beyond the 15 percent complimentary ticket quota, they would require additional, substantial tickets.”“The most surprising thing is that they also requested tickets for their local Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Legislative Council members. And 700 complimentary tickets from the Karnataka government. Thus, over and above the 15 per cent allocation, they were demanding around 10,000 additional tickets,” he added.In March, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that each MLA would get three free tickets for IPL matches, while two complimentary tickets would be given for international matches, with an option to buy two more. The announcement came after discussions with KSCA representatives.The issue was also raised by legislators in the Karnataka Assembly, who complained about ticketing and seating arrangements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Assembly Speaker UT Khader then asked the government to ensure that each MLA gets four VIP tickets during matches at the venue.
