The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opened up on why Bengaluru missed out on hosting the IPL 2026 final despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) being the defending champions. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board was shocked by the demands made by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) regarding complimentary tickets for the summit clash.
While Dharamshala and New Chandigarh will host the other playoff matches, the final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following the decision, the KSCA expressed disappointment, stating that it had officially informed the BCCI about its readiness to host the marquee matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Saikia added that IPL rules permit only 15 percent complimentary tickets for host associations, but KSCA had allegedly sought a much higher allocation during league matches.
“As per IPL protocol, we are required to provide only 15% of the total seating capacity as complimentary tickets to the host association. This constitutes the standard protocol; all host state associations receive a 15% allocation of their total capacity in the form of complimentary tickets,” Saikia was quoted as saying by ANI.
“However, we received information from various sources indicating that during the hosting of IPL league matches, the Karnataka State Association was claiming a significantly higher number of complimentary tickets far exceeding the stipulated 15%,” Saikia said.
DEMAND OF 10,000 ADDITIONAL TICKETS
Saikia said the BCCI sought clarification from the Karnataka State Cricket Association after reports emerged about excessive complimentary ticket demands during IPL matches. Saikia revealed that KSCA, apart from the mandatory 15 percent quota, requested nearly 10,000 additional tickets for members, affiliated clubs, MLAs, MLCs, and even sought 700 complimentary passes for the Karnataka government.
“Consequently, we sent them an email requesting precise details regarding this matter. We were shocked when we received a response via email from the Karnataka State Cricket Association on May 2nd; in that email, they stated that, over and above the 15% complimentary ticket quota, they would require an additional, substantial allocation of tickets for their members, affiliated clubs, and various others,” Saikia said.
“Most surprisingly, they also requested tickets for their local Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of the Legislative Council. And also to the government of Karnataka, 700 complimentary tickets. Thus, over and above the 15% allocation, they were demanding approximately 10,000 additional tickets,” Saikia added.
Earlier in the IPL 2026 season, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar sparked controversy by demanding complimentary IPL tickets for elected representatives, saying MLAs were “VIPs” and should not queue with regular fans.
The matter soon turned political, prompting intervention from Karnataka Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar before a compromise was reached for MLAs, MLCs, and MPs. Sources had earlier suggested the growing dispute over ticket allocation and related logistical concerns influenced the BCCI’s decision to move the playoffs away from Bengaluru, with the Narendra Modi Stadium set to host the final again.
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