The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been at the center of attraction, especially after the 2026 IPL final match was shifted from there to the Narendra Modi Stadium.
It not only miffed the Karnataka State Cricket Association but also pushed them to undergo certain refurbishments of the stadium.
On Friday, the KSCA president, Venkatesh Prasad, announced the launch of the Maharaja Trophy and Maharani Trophy. During that event, he stated that the stadium will be revamped structurally.
Prasad particularly highlighted that the IPL final match moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad due to seating issues. While Ahmedabad can accommodate up to 130,000 spectators, the Chinnaswamy has seating for only 40,000 fans.
Prasad said that the stadium will be redesigned. He further said that around 28 architects have shown interest in working with KSCA. As quoted by the SportsStar, Prasad siad,
"One of the reasons why the IPL final was moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad could have been the seating capacity. We had close to 28 architects – from across the globe – show interest in redesigning and redeveloping the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. We are in the process of shortlisting the final team of architects."
After the ban, Chinnaswamy faced a post-victory stampede in 2025, the 2026 IPL was the first major tournament they hosted. Known as the home ground of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they hosted five matches this season, while the other two matches were shifted to Raipur. The final match of the league was supposed to be hosted there, including a playoff match. But the final was later moved to Ahmedabad. Dharmashala will be hosting the qualifiers, while New Chandigarh will stage the Eliminators.
Why IPL 2026 Final Moved to Ahmedabad?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shifted the IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium amid controversy over complimentary ticket demands and logistical concerns. Although defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were traditionally entitled to host the final, pressure mounted after Karnataka politicians and officials sought massive allocations of free passes.
KSCA reportedly requested around 10,000 complimentary tickets, exceeding IPL norms and risking limited public access. Safety assessments also flagged Chinnaswamy's congested surroundings. Ahmedabad, with the 1,32,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium and stronger infrastructure, emerged as the preferred venue for the high-profile finale.