IPL 2026 | Chinnaswamy denied: Of political powerplay and a convenient excuse

Bengaluru: So it’s official: Royal Challengers Bengaluru have seen their worst fears come true, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India stripping them of what was their “right” to host the final of this season’s Indian Premier League.

To be fair, this “right” has never been set in stone. The idea that defending champions get first preference to host the final is more of a convention than a rule. There have been exceptions in the past, including in 2014 and 2016 when Bengaluru itself benefited from a similar development. But those decisions typically came under extraordinary circumstances such as logistical challenges and tournament constraints. On both these occasions, it was Mumbai's turn to host the finals.

That brings us to an obvious question: did the situation surrounding M Chinnaswamy Stadium truly justify such a drastic move? The BCCI has pointed to disputes over ticket quotas for Karnataka legislators as the primary reason for shifting a playoff and the final to other venues. 

"Owing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case," the BCCI said in a statement on Wednesday. "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."

On paper, that sounds purely administrative and logical too. In reality, though, it feels more like a convenient excuse than a convincing reason.

If the BCCI was serious about honouring the convention, it could have acted more constructively. It might have attempted to broker a resolution to the ticketing impasse through the Karnataka State Cricket Association which left no stone unturned to bring the IPL to Chinnaswamy against all odds. The situation, therefore, appears to have been used conveniently to move a marquee match to a venue of the board’s preference.

KSCA, while expressing its disappointment, said that it had communicated in detail the venue's preparedness to host the final. 

"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," it said in a statement.

This episode also casts a shadow on the conduct of local politicians. The aggressive push by some Karnataka legislators to secure ticket allocations through pressure tactics, did little to help the situation and the consequences were almost inevitable. 

Bengaluru has long been one of the IPL’s most vibrant centres, with a passionate fan base that transforms matches into near festivals. For RCB supporters, missing out on hosting the business end of the tournament must feel like a collective loss.