2026 IPL final Ahamedabhad
If they’re going to play everything there, why even have other stadiums? Just close them all down!
IPL Finals Timeline:
2022: Ahmedabad
2023: Ahmedabad
2025: Ahmedabad
2026: Ahmedabad
In five years, Ahmedabad has hosted four IPL finals. Fairly speaking, this year’s IPL final should have been held at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
There is a rule in the IPL: the defending champion’s home ground hosts the final the following year. This is a rule made by the BCCI, the world’s richest cricket board, itself. However, over the last four years, this rule has been tossed aside to grant the IPL final hosting rights to Ahmedabad.
The reason cited for shifting this year’s final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad is reportedly the demand for IPL tickets by Karnataka’s MLAs.
In Karnataka, there are 224 MLAs, 75 MLCs, 28 Lok Sabha MPs, and 12 Rajya Sabha MPs—totaling 339 representatives. Providing them with at least 3 passes each totals 1,017 IPL passes. The argument that the final was moved from Bengaluru just because of a thousand passes holds no water; it is merely a flimsy excuse.
Then there is the argument that the Chinnaswamy Stadium is small. Yes, its total seating capacity is 33,000. But hasn’t Chinnaswamy hosted two finals in the past? Was the stadium bigger back then?
The truth is, they just want the final to be played in Ahmedabad, and they are giving baseless reasons to justify it.
It is both a rule and a tradition that the IPL final should take place on the home turf of the defending champions. Except for unavoidable circumstances, this rule has mostly been followed:
2008 (RR Champion): 2009 IPL shifted to South Africa due to Lok Sabha elections.
2009 (Deccan Chargers Champion): 2010 Final shifted from Hyderabad to Mumbai due to the Telangana statehood movement.
2010 (CSK Champion): Chennai hosted the 2011 Final.
2011 (CSK Champion): Chennai hosted the 2012 Final.
2012 (KKR Champion): Kolkata hosted the 2013 Final.
2013 (MI Champion): 2014 Final shifted from Mumbai to Bengaluru due to a spat between MCA and the IPL Governing Council.
2014 (KKR Champion): Kolkata hosted the 2015 Final.
2015 (MI Champion): 2016 Final shifted from Mumbai to Bengaluru due to severe drought in Maharashtra.
2016 (SRH Champion): Hyderabad hosted the 2017 Final.
2017 (MI Champion): Mumbai hosted the 2018 Final.
2018 (CSK Champion): 2019 Final shifted from Chennai to Hyderabad due to the Chepauk stand controversy.
2019 (MI Champion): 2020 IPL hosted in Dubai due to Lok Sabha elections (and later COVID).
2020 (MI Champion): 2021 IPL shifted to Dubai due to COVID.
2021 (CSK Champion): Ahmedabad hosted the 2022 Final instead of Chennai.
2022 (GT Champion): Ahmedabad hosted the 2023 Final.
2023 (CSK Champion): Chennai hosted the 2024 Final.
2024 (KKR Champion): 2025 Final shifted from Kolkata to Ahmedabad.
2025 (RCB Champion): 2026 Final shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad.
In 18 years, the rule of hosting the final at the defending champion’s home ground has been followed 8 times. Six times it was moved due to unavoidable reasons. However, thr2026 IPL finalee times the rule was bypassed specifically to play the final in Ahmedabad—and now, it’s happening once more.
Excluding 2024, Ahmedabad has hosted or is scheduled to host every IPL final from 2022 to 2026. While the 2023 final in Ahmedabad was justified (as Gujarat were the 2022 champions), on what basis were the 2022, 2025, and 2026 finals allotted to Ahmedabad?
Beyond four IPL finals in five years, Ahmedabad has also hosted the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup Final and is set to host the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup Final.
