The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the IPL 2026 final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31, marking the second consecutive year the venue hosts the title match. Qualifier 1 will take place at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 26, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 are scheduled for the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on May 27 and May 29, respectively.
Originally, Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium was slated to host the final, but the BCCI moved the match due to operational and logistical challenges. Last year’s celebrations by Royal Challengers Bengaluru after their maiden IPL title win turned tragic when a stampede outside the stadium resulted in 11 fatalities. Although local authorities reviewed safety measures and permitted Bengaluru to host regular season matches, the final was reassigned.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that certain requirements from the local association and authorities fell outside the board’s established guidelines, prompting the venue change. Ahmedabad, which previously hosted the IPL finals in 2022 and 2023, has become a preferred location for marquee events, including the 2023 ODI World Cup final and the 2024 T20 World Cup final. The 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket ground, will provide a grand setting for the season’s climax.
The playoff schedule is as follows:
– Qualifier 1: May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
– 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
Qualifier 1 will feature the top two teams in the standings, with the winner earning a direct spot in the final. The Eliminator will pit the third and fourth-placed teams, and the winner of that match will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 to decide the second finalist.