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Bengaluru
Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has lost the IPL 2026 final to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31. The BCCI made this call despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) being the defending champions, whose home ground usually hosts the title clash.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the full playoffs schedule on Wednesday. Qualifier 1 will happen on May 26 at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala between the top two league teams. New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh will host the Eliminator on May 27 and Qualifier 2 on May 29.
BCCI said the shift came due to “operational and logistical considerations” as a special case this season. Bengaluru was first picked for the final, but local association and authority demands went “beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols.”
This marks the second year in a row for Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium, to host the IPL final. Last year, bad weather moved it from Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) voiced disappointment over losing the knockout games. Dharamshala and Mullanpur now get the other playoffs, leaving Chinnaswamy out.
Fans feel let down as RCB’s win last year built hopes for a home final. All eyes now turn to league toppers fighting for spots starting May 26.
