New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday explained why Bengaluru was not chosen to host the 2026 IPL final, with board secretary Devajit Saikia saying the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had sought a large number of free 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 that IPL rules allow only 15 per cent of the total stadium capacity as free tickets for the host association.“As per the IPL agreement, we are required to provide free tickets to only 15 per cent of the total seating capacity to the host association. This constitutes a standard agreement; all host country associations receive an allocation of 15% of their total capacity in the form of free tickets,” said Saikia.He added that the BCCI had received reports that KSCA was asking for more tickets during the IPL league.“However, information we have received from various sources indicates that the number of free tickets claimed by the Karnataka Association during the conduct of the IPL league is significantly higher than the stipulated 15 per cent,” Saikia said.According to Saikia, BCCI then wrote to KSCA seeking details. He said the board was surprised by the response it received on May 2.“So, we sent them an email asking for accurate details about the matter. We were shocked when we received an email response from the Karnataka Cricket Association on May 2; in that email, they stated that apart from the 15 per cent free ticket quota, they would also need to allocate a large number of additional tickets to their members, affiliated clubs and other parties,” Saikia said.“The most surprising thing is that they are also demanding tickets for local members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and members of the Legislative Council. They are also demanding 700 free tickets from the Karnataka government. So, apart from the 15 per cent allocation, they are also demanding around 10,000 additional tickets,” he added.In March this year, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that each MLA will get three free tickets for IPL matches, while two free tickets for international matches with an option to buy two more. The announcement follows discussions with KSCA representatives.The issue was also raised by lawmakers in the Karnataka Assembly who complained about the ticket and seating arrangements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Following this, Speaker of Parliament UT Khader asked the government to ensure that each MLA gets four VIP tickets during the tournament.
 explained on Thursday why Bengaluru was not chosen to host the IPL 2026 final, with board .){kind=link}