BENGALURU: Hours after the BCCI moved the 2026 Indian Premier League final out of Bengaluru, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has expressed its disappointment with the decision.
On Wednesday afternoon, the BCCI said that Mullanpur and Dharamsala (one match) will host the play-offs while Ahmedabad will host the final once again. In its release, the BCCI said that certain requirements from local association and authorities as the reason behind Bengaluru not getting the final. "Bengaluru was originally designated to host the Final. However, owing to certain requirements from the local association and authoritie that were beyond the scope of BCCI's established guidelines and protocols, the venue has been shifted and reassigned,' BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was supposed to host the final as Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the title last year. However, due to the stampede that followed -- where 11 people died -- during celebrations, the venue did not host any games till the start of this year's IPL and underwent major changes in protocols and safety measures under the eyes of the new state associaion office bearers and the state government. KSCA went on to say that Bengaluru will host a playoff match and the final. Now, with Ahmedabad set to host another final, KSCA has expressed its disappointment.
Responding to BCCI statement, KSCA has claimed that while they respect the decision, the board did not formally communicate any specific reason. "Despite our preparedness and willingness to host the Playoffs, we understand that the BCCI has taken a decision to allot these matches to other venues. While the specific reasons for the same have not been formally communicated to KSCA, we fully respect the prerogative and decision-making authority of the BCCI in this regard," KSCA said in a statement.
"The IPL matches conducted in Bengaluru during the current season were widely appreciated for their smooth execution, crowd management, operational efficiency, and overall spectator experience, reaffirming KSCA’s capability to successfully host marquee fixtures of such scale and importance," it added.
"In this regard, KSCA had addressed a detailed communication to the BCCI outlining its preparedness and explaining the operational framework under which the current IPL season was conducted in Bengaluru. Most of these arrangements and protocols have been consistently followed since the inception of the IPL in 2008 and were implemented uniformly during the current season as well, including during earlier playoff matches hosted at Bengaluru. The communication addressed by KSCA was purely factual, operational, and clarificatory in nature, intended only to provide transparency and clarity regarding logistical and stakeholder-related requirements associated with hosting such high-profile matches," Vinay Mruthyunjaya, Official spokesperson, said.