The BCCI have decided to host the IPL 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31 instead of original hosts M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Published: May 6, 2026 12:57 PM IST
IPL 2026 Playoffs: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally announced the venues and schedule of the IPL 2026 Playoffs as well as the final on May 31. According to BCCI rules, the final should have taken place at defending champions – in this case Royal Challengers Bengaluru – home ground of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. But the board have decided not to host the IPL 2026 final at this venue and will instead stick to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which hosted the 2025 final as well.
The Playoffs and the final in IPL 2025 had to be moved to Mullanpur and Ahmedabad instead of originally scheduled Hyderabad and Kolkata due to India-Pakistan border tension, which led to suspension of the T20 league last year as well. However, while Mullanpur and Dharamsala will be hosting the Playoffs – the home ground of one finalist, Punjab Kings – RCB’s home ground has not been selected.
“Bengaluru was originally designated to host the Final. However, owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols, the venue has been shifted and reassigned,” a BCCI statement on Wednesday read.
“Following 70 high-intensity league-stage matches defined by outstanding performances and edge-of-the-seat moments, the tournament now enters its decisive phase. Qualifier 1, featuring the top two teams in the standings, will be played on May 26 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, with a direct berth in the Final at stake.
“The action will then move to the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, which will host the Eliminator on May 27 between the third and fourth-placed teams. The same venue will also stage Qualifier 2 on May 29, where the loser of Qualifier 1 will face the winner of the Eliminator to determine the second finalist,” the release added.
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According to ANI news agency, RCB’s home ground M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been denied hosting rights of the final due to issue over allocation of tickets for MLAs in the state. “IPL 2026 playoffs and final venue will be announced soon. Matches likely to be divided into Punjab and Karnataka, the last time winner should host the final, but MLA ticket issue is creating problems in Bengaluru, and if there is no solution, then BCCI will move the final to another city,” the ANI report had stated.
The IPL 2026 will conclude with the grand final on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — the world’s largest cricket stadium — setting the stage for a spectacular finale. “Owing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case,” the BCCI statement read.
Playoffs Schedule
Qualifier 1 – May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
Eliminator – May 27 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Qualifier 2 – May 29 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Final – May 31 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
