The Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached its decisive stage, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiling the full playoff schedule. The grand finale is set to take place on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Although Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was initially in contention to host the title clash, the board has officially confirmed Ahmedabad as the final venue. Alongside this announcement, the playoff fixtures have also been locked in. Now, the focus shifts to where the Qualifier matches will be held.
Whole Schedule of Playoffs
This decision means Bengaluru won’t host the final or any playoff fixture this season, despite the long-standing IPL tradition of giving the defending champions the chance to stage the title clash. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Tuesday that Qualifier 1 will be held in Dharamshala, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 are scheduled for New Chandigarh. The tournament will then wrap up with the final in Ahmedabad.
Why did Bengaluru miss out on the IPL 2026 final?
The development comes less than a year after the city faced criticism over the handling of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title celebrations, where crowd-control issues outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in multiple fatalities. More recently, controversy surrounding IPL ticketing in the city has further fueled the debate.In its official statement, the BCCI maintained that the decision to spread the playoffs across different venues was based on “operational and logistical considerations.”
IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule
This season, the knockout stage will be split across three venues, with Dharamshala, New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad sharing hosting responsibilities. The road to the title will move across these cities before culminating in the grand finale in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Playoff Fixtures:
- Qualifier 1 – May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
- Eliminator – May 27 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
- Qualifier 2 – May 29 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
- Final – May 31 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
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