IPL final moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad

The final of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) has been shifted to Ahmedabad, the country's cricket board said on Wednesday, citing operational and logistical issues at the original venue in Bengaluru.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's celebration after winning their maiden IPL went horribly wrong last year when 11 people were killed in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The local government reviewed its safety arrangements before allowing it to stage IPL matches this season, including the May 31 final, at their home ground.

"Bengaluru was originally designated to host the final," Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement.

"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."

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which operates the Chinnaswamy Stadium, said it was disappointed by the BCCI's decision to move the matches elsewhere.

"KSCA had addressed a detailed communication to the BCCI outlining its preparedness and explaining the operational framework under which the current IPL season was conducted in Bengaluru," the state association said in a statement.

"Despite our preparedness... we understand that the BCCI has taken a decision to allot these matches to other venues.

"While the specific reasons for the same have not been formally communicated to KSCA, we fully respect the prerogative and decision-making authority of the BCCI in this regard."

According to the league's new playoff schedule, Dharamsala will host the first qualifier on May 26, while New Chandigarh will stage the eliminator and the second qualifier before action moves to the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

The 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium has regularly been allotted high-profile matches, including the finals of the 2023 50-overs World Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup this year.

This will be the fourth IPL final to be played at the venue in the last five years.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Shri Navaratnam and Christian Radnedge)