Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) explained on Thursday why Bengaluru was not chosen to host the IPL 2026 final, with board secretary Devajit Saikia saying the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had sought a large number of complimentary tickets beyond the allowed quota.While Dharamshala and New Chandigarh will host the other playoff matches, the final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Saikia said IPL rules allow only 15 per cent of the total stadium capacity as complimentary tickets for the host association.“As per IPL protocol, we are required to provide only 15 per cent of the total seating capacity as complimentary tickets to the host association. This constitutes the standard protocol; all host state associations receive a 15 per cent allocation of their total capacity in the form of complimentary tickets,” Saikia said.He added that the BCCI received reports that KSCA had been asking for far more tickets during IPL league matches.“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 per cent,” Saikia said.According to Saikia, the BCCI then wrote to KSCA seeking details. He said the board was surprised by the reply received on May 2.“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 per cent 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 per cent allocation, they were demanding approximately 10,000 additional tickets,” he added.In March, Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar had announced that each MLA would get three free tickets for IPL matches, while two complimentary tickets would be given for international matches, with an option to buy two more. The announcement came after discussions with KSCA representatives.The issue had also been raised by legislators in the Karnataka Assembly, who complained about ticket and seating arrangements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following that, Assembly speaker U T Khader had asked the government to ensure that every MLA receives four VIP tickets during matches at the venue.
