Ahmedabad will now host the IPL final, taking over from Bengaluru in a late schedule shuffle by the BCCI. The 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium secures the tournament’s climax, while Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium—originally slated for the season finale—will instead host the Eliminator and Qualifier 1.
The decision, confirmed by board officials late Tuesday, shifts the spotlight back to Gujarat for the third time in four years. While the BCCI hasn’t officially detailed the reason for the swap, insiders point to a combination of monsoon forecasts in South India and the massive revenue potential of the Ahmedabad venue.
“We wanted the biggest possible stage for the final,” a senior BCCI official said, requesting anonymity. “Ahmedabad offers a scale that no other stadium in the world can match, and given the ticket demand we’re seeing, it was the logical move.”
Bengaluru fans, who haven’t seen an IPL final at home since 2016, will have to settle for the first two playoff games. It’s a bitter pill for a city known for one of the league’s most loyal fanbases, but the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium’s 32,000-seat capacity simply couldn’t compete with the gate receipts of a packed house in Motera.
Logistically, the move simplifies the final week. Teams will now fly directly to Ahmedabad for the Qualifier 2 and the Final, reducing travel fatigue during the high-pressure knockout stage.
The shift also cements Ahmedabad’s status as the new headquarters of Indian cricket’s “big moments.” From the 2022 IPL final to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the venue has become the board’s preferred choice for high-stakes matches, often at the expense of traditional hubs like Mumbai and Kolkata.
Work is already underway in Ahmedabad to prepare for the closing ceremony, which is expected to feature high-profile international performers. For the teams remaining in the hunt, the road to the trophy now ends in the world’s largest cricket stadium.
