New Delhi
The Indian Premier League final will be held in Ahmedabad for the second consecutive year, with the Narendra Modi Stadium set to host the title clash on May 31, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Wednesday.
The summit clash was initially expected to be played in Bengaluru, following the usual convention as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru are based there. However, the board said the venue had to be changed due to certain requirements raised by local authorities and the state association that fell outside the board’s operational guidelines.
In a special arrangement this season, the BCCI has also expanded the playoff venues to three different cities, citing logistical and operational considerations.
For the first time, Dharamsala will host an IPL playoff match, with Qualifier 1 scheduled at the HPCA Stadium on May 26. The match will feature the top two teams from the league stage, with the winner securing a direct spot in the final.
The playoff action will then shift to New Chandigarh, where the New International Cricket Stadium will host both the Eliminator on May 27 and Qualifier 2 on May 29.
Qualifier 2 will determine the second finalist and will be contested between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator.
The season finale will once again take place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue, which the board reportedly preferred because of its massive seating capacity and expected higher attendance.
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Sources also indicated that the BCCI was not in favour of hosting the final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has a significantly smaller capacity. The venue was also in focus last year after a tragic stampede during RCB’s title celebrations claimed 11 lives.
IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule:
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