BCCI strips Bengaluru of IPL 2026 final, moves showpiece to world’s largest stadium

BCCI shifts IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Full playoffs schedule with dates and venues announced.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the playoffs schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with a major change to the final venue. Bengaluru has been stripped of its hosting rights, with Ahmedabad now set to host the grand finale.

Why Bengaluru lost the final

Bengaluru was originally chosen to host the final, but the local association and officials put forward certain conditions and requirements that fell outside BCCI's rules and protocols. Due to these logistical disagreements, the BCCI transferred hosting duties to Ahmedabad.

Full playoffs schedule

The playoff matches will be held across three cities:

Qualifier 1 (26 May): The top two teams on the points table will face off at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. The winner will qualify directly for the final.

Eliminator (27 May): The third and fourth-placed teams will battle it out at the new International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh (Mullanpur).

Qualifier 2 (29 May): The Eliminator winner and the Qualifier 1 loser will meet at Mullanpur, with the second finalist to be decided here.

Grand Final (31 May): The title clash will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — the world's largest cricket stadium.

Schedule released in phases

In view of assembly elections in five states, the BCCI released the IPL 2026 schedule in three separate phases. The first 20 matches were announced on 11 March, followed by the remainder of the league stage fixtures on 26 March.