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Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said security concerns were not the reasons behind the decision to shift the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final from Bengaluru, adding that the move appeared to have been driven by commercial considerations linked to stadium capacity.
The IPL had originally designated Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium to host the final on May 31, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later reassigned the title clash to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Speaking on the development, Parameshwara said no concerns had been raised by the police, IPL authorities or Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) regarding security arrangements in the city. "There has been no complaint over security issues. Five matches have already been held here, so security is not the reason. Neither the IPL authorities, RCB, nor the police have raised any complaint," Parameshwara told ANI. The Karnataka minister said unofficial information available to him suggested that the seating capacity of the Chinnaswamy Stadium could have played a role in the decision to move the final. "The unofficial information I received is that the stadium has only 33,000 seats, out of which 7,000-8,000 seats must be allotted to sponsors and others. Because of that, they themselves block around 7,000-8,000 seats, leaving only about 25,000 seats. Hence, it may not be commercially viable," he added. Parameshwara further said the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had remained in touch with the organisers, but the final was ultimately not allotted to Bengaluru. "Usually, when any team becomes champion, in the next edition, the opening and final matches are hosted at that team's home ground. But it appears they had already assessed all these aspects and made a decision earlier," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, IPL issued a statement, saying, "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." Meanwhile, KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya said the association had not received any official communication explaining the reason behind the venue change. "There has been no official communication stating why the matches are not being hosted at Chinnaswamy Stadium. So we don't have any official information as of now. But of course it's a prerogative of the BCCI, and I like to respect the decision what BCCI has taken," he told ANI. As per the revised playoff schedule, Qualifier 1 will be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 26, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be staged in Mullanpur on May 27 and 29, respectively, before the final in Ahmedabad on May 31. (ANI)
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