The decision to move this year’s Indian Premier League final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad has set off a political dispute in Karnataka, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of allowing demands for privileged access to overshadow the interests of cricket supporters.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy, president of the Janata Dal (Secular) youth wing in Karnataka, on Thursday blamed what he described as an excessive focus on VIP passes and political influence for Bengaluru losing the match. “Congratulations to the state leaders who gifted the IPL final to Ahmedabad,” he told reporters.
Nikhil argued that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium had increasingly come to be viewed through the lens of political entitlement rather than as a venue for cricket fans. He said pressure from elected representatives seeking complimentary tickets and special seating had damaged the city’s image as a host for major sporting events.
According to him, some influential figures had treated the stadium “like a personal ticket counter,” undermining the prestige attached to hosting the tournament finale. He said the BCCI’s decision should caution governments against interfering in sports administration.
The remarks followed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s announcement on Wednesday that Ahmedabad would host the IPL final on May 31, replacing Bengaluru, which had originally been designated as the venue. The board also assigned Qualifier 1 to Dharamsala and two other playoff matches to New Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}The remarks followed the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s announcement on Wednesday that Ahmedabad would host the IPL final on May 31, replacing Bengaluru, which had originally been designated as the venue. The board also assigned Qualifier 1 to Dharamsala and two other playoff matches to New Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}In a statement, the BCCI said the change was necessitated by “certain requirements from the local association and authorities” that fell outside its established guidelines and protocols, though it did not elaborate further.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara rejected claims that the venue change was linked to legislators receiving match passes. He maintained that there had been no complaints from the IPL, Royal Challengers Bengaluru or the Karnataka State Cricket Association regarding policing, security or match arrangements in Bengaluru. “There have been five matches here and there hasn’t been even a single complaint regarding security,” he said.
Parameshwara instead pointed to commercial considerations. He said the Chinnaswamy Stadium’s seating capacity of roughly 33,000 meant that after allocations to sponsors, teams and VIP categories, only about 25,000 tickets remained available for sale. “Since it will not work out commercially, they might have decided to shift the match to Ahmedabad, which has a one-lakh-seat capacity,” he said.
He added that discussions around venue capacity had been underway for some time, even though the Karnataka State Cricket Association had argued that convention favoured the defending champion’s home ground hosting the opening and final matches. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the reigning IPL champions.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had similarly denied that complimentary tickets for legislators played a role in the decision, saying Ahmedabad’s larger stadium was likely the decisive factor.
The controversy has renewed attention on the relationship between politics and access at high-profile sporting events in Karnataka. In March, Shivakumar announced that each MLA would receive three complimentary IPL tickets and two free tickets for international matches, with the option to buy two more, after discussions with KSCA officials.
That announcement drew criticism and followed complaints raised by legislators from multiple parties over seating arrangements at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Speaker U.T. Khader later asked the government to ensure that every MLA received four VIP tickets during matches.
Those in the know of the development said legislators from the Congress, BJP and JD(S) had all approached the KSCA seeking passes