Virat Kohli, Jay Shah and the Narendra Modi Stadium [Source: X and Screengrabs]After the business end of the first half of TATA IPL 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have officially released the Playoff schedules for the season. The four playoff games are set to start from May 26, with the Final to be played on May 31. The HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the IPL 2026 Playoffs. IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule Released By BCCI On May 6, 2026, IPL released the playoff schedule on their official website. After the group stage concludes with the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals clash on May 24, the Qualifier 1 is scheduled for May 26 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. The Eliminator will be played next, between the third- and fourth-ranked teams on the points table, on May 27 at the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. The Qualifier 2 will be hosted at the New Chandigarh Stadium again on May 29 between the winner of the Eliminator and the loser of Qualifier 1. The final is scheduled to be played on May 31 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. M Chinnaswamy Stadium Rejected By BCCI As per the ground rules of IPL and the traditional system since its inauguration, the playoffs are always hosted at the defending champions’ and the runner-up’s home grounds, regardless of whether the teams qualify for the playoffs or not. In the IPL 2026, although the Qualifiers and Eliminator are hosted by the Punjab Kings’ home venue, the IPL Final in 2026 is set to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium instead of defending champions RCB’s home, M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The primary reason, as per recent reports, is the Karnataka MLA's demand for complimentary tickets, which later sparked a voluminous controversy involving the Chinnaswamy administrators and the government.Also Read- BCCI Issues Official Statement On Why They Replaced Bengaluru With Ahmedabad For IPL 2026 FinalInternet Enraged Over Narendra Modi Stadium Choice The choice of the IPL 2026 Final venue has enraged fans online. People on the internet questioned the betrayal that Bengaluru fans suffered despite their team, RCB, winning IPL 2025. The Narendra Modi Stadium has robbed the defending champions of the right to host the Finals since 2022, with the only exception being the 2024 IPL Final between KKR and SRH at Chepauk. Ahmedabad has been the go-to stadium for tournament finals, be it the World Cup or the IPL. Although KKR won the 2024 season, the Final of IPL 2025 was hosted in Ahmedabad, and it seems the same fate awaits for RCB in IPL 2026. Let’s take a look at how the internet reacted to the IPL 2026 Final venue:𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ @rushiii_12 🚨IPL FINAL SHIFTED FROM CHINNASWAMY TO AHMEDABAD🚨 - The IPL final will not be held in Chinnaswamy, but in Ahmedabad. - Qualifier 1 will be played in Dharamshala - The Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be held in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh Due to the Karnataka MLAs’ ticket May 6, 2026, 11:47 AM Selfless⁴⁵ @SelflessCricket Gujarat Titans won way back in 2022, yet somehow Ahmedabad is the stadium that hosts the final every year. I really don't know What’s happening. May 6, 2026, 12:19 PM Satwik Hegde @SatwikHegde5 @Im__Arfan Atleast remove rule now final always happen in Ahmedabad not defending Champs home Krishna Anand @KrishnaAnand_ @CricCrazyJohns The worst kept secret in the world. The BCCI looks for any excuse to give finals to Ahmedabad. The bias stinks. AdityaVarma @AdityaVarma45_ @IPL BCCI really needs to stop treating Ahmedabad like the only stadium in India just because of revenue and political obsession. May 6, 2026, 12:39 PM Vishu @vishesh_6302 Now the meltdown begins over Ahmedabad getting the finals🤣 May 6, 2026, 12:03 PM Naman @NamanVyas230768 @rushiii_12 be practical bro, ipl only aims for more revenue, doesn't give a shit to other things! And tbh, narendra modi stadium was only built so that more finals & qualifies could be arranged! Sport360° @Sport360 🚨 Ahmedabad has been given the IPL 2026 final hosting rights 🚨 Was this unfair on Bengaluru? 🤔 #IPL2026 May 6, 2026, 12:57 PM cricket_updates @Abhishek850977 @mufaddal_vohra Another final in Ahmedabad… does the rest of the country just not exist? 🤨 Aditya Saha @Adityakrsaha Hyderabad should've hosted playoff matches this time as they were the finalists in 2024. It's such a great stadium, but I'm not sure why it's constantly ignored by the BCCI for big international matches and they are only obsessed with Ahmedabad. May 6, 2026, 1:16 PM movieman @movieman777 @IPL To be fair,even though the Ahmedabad stadium is the biggest..last year's final was played there and then this year's t20WC final too. that makes it a kind of monotonous watch to not have a different feel of the grand stage on a different ground. Aditya Saha @Adityakrsaha @poserarcher The problem is not just with Ahmedabad hosting every IPL final, but also with not following the rules that were followed over the years. BCCI is not being fair to all other IPL teams and every other cricket stadium. Boundary & Beyond Co. @SrijoyMukherjee @Adityakrsaha Shameful behaviour by the BCCI! Ahmedabad is hosting every single big game!!! Aman_Chain 🏳️ @Amanprabhat9 @mufaddal_vohra Why Ahmedabad Why not Mumbai or any other big stadium 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ @rushiii_12 One thing I don’t understand is why the BCCI is so attached to the Ahmedabad stadium. It’s fine that it has a higher seating capacity, but that doesn’t mean every final should be held there. After canceling the final at Chinnaswamy, couldn’t they find any other stadium in India Why BCCI Chose Ahmedabad Over Chinnaswamy?Although fans are enraged, it seems like the BCCI hasn’t ignored M Chinnaswamy Stadium for absolutely baseless reasons. Although the Bengaluru home base successfully hosted multiple RCB games in the 2026 season, spectator limits, MLA controversy and management might be factors the BCCI has considered.What Is The MLA Ticket Controversy?Karnataka Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar stirred a controversy by publicly demanding multiple free IPL tickets for legislators, arguing that MLAs are VIPs who should not have to queue like ordinary fans. After the issue escalated, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar intervened and announced a compromise. Each MLA, MLC, and MP would receive three complimentary tickets for matches at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium.However, the matter escalated from there. Home Minister G. Parameshwara later clarified strict rules to prevent any misuse. He stated that the complimentary tickets are non-transferable, meaning they can only be used personally by the elected representatives. With the ministry involved and a possible chaos in prospect, BCCI have likely chosen Ahmedabad to avoid any conflict."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," the BCCI confirmed in a statement, as per Cricbuzz.Other Factors Behind The ShiftThe IPL 2025 stampede at Chinnaswamy for RCB's victory is still a fresh memory, and that might be one reason the BCCI considered Ahmedabad to allow better crowd control in a large and much more technologically updated stadium.Speaking of large stadium, Ahmedabad also has a massive spectator capacity of 132,000, compared to Chinnaswamy’s 40,000. Hence, from the ticket sales and profit margins point of view, Ahmedabad is likely a better alternative to host the grand finale of the mega Indian tournament.Also Read- KKR IPL 2026 Members To Join Pakistan-Based Team In New Tournament
