CHENNAI: In March first week, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had believed that the BCCI had given Bengaluru the right to host the final playoff match as well as the final of this year's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But Devajit Saikia, board secretary, refuted those suggestions. “We are working on which can be the appropriate venue for the IPL playoff and the final," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Indian squad announcement for the women's T20 World Cup. "You keep on guessing, but I am not going to give a reply. We are taking a call in two days."
Usually, the defending champions host the final playoff as well as the final. That practice, however, was not followed in 2025 when the final was moved from Kolkata to Ahmedabad (the BCCI had cited the threat of rain). It remains to be seen if the board allots one of the year's marquee clashes to Ahmedabad this year as well.
Action to be taken against RR
Meanwhile, days after Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for vaping in the dressing room, Saikia confirmed that the board is exploring options to take stringent action against the franchise. “We are exploring some other options on how to rein in the teams which are violating the norms,” he said. “We will be taking some action. We are looking at the various terms and conditions and protocols of IPL on how the teams should behave. It is not only the players or the officials. As a team, they have to maintain certain decorum so that the image of IPL is never adversely affected. To ensure that, we have to take a call and we will be taking some action,” he said.