The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially confirmed that Bengaluru was originally set to host the IPL 2026 final, but the venue was later shifted to Ahmedabad.
As per the revised decision, the title clash will now be played on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while the earlier plan had placed the summit match at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, home of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The BCCI clarified that Bengaluru lost hosting rights after certain requirements raised by the local association and authorities went beyond the board’s established guidelines, making it difficult to proceed with the original arrangement. Officials stated that the change was necessary to ensure smooth conduct of the tournament’s final phase and maintain uniform operational standards across venues.
Reports also suggest that broader logistical issues and administrative complications influenced the decision, with Ahmedabad emerging as the preferred alternative due to its proven infrastructure and experience in hosting major ICC and IPL knockout matches.
The move has effectively ended Bengaluru’s hopes of hosting the marquee fixture despite being initially awarded the final under the traditional IPL hosting rotation policy. The change also means that the 2026 playoffs will now be spread across Dharamshala, New Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad, with the latter once again staging the season’s biggest night.
With this clarification, the BCCI has settled speculation around the venue switch, while reinforcing that the decision was driven by administrative and logistical priorities rather than on-field considerations or sporting preferences.
