Bengaluru/Guwahati:  In a major controversy ahead of the IPL playoffs, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday accused the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) of demanding over 10,000 extra complimentary tickets, including allocations for MLAs, MLCs and the Karnataka Government, forcing the Board to strip Bengaluru of hosting the IPL final and playoff matches.

Making explosive disclosures, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said the Board was “shocked” by the scale of demands made by the KSCA, which allegedly went far beyond the 15 percent complimentary ticket quota permitted under IPL regulations and Supreme Court guidelines.

The BCCI on Wednesday officially shifted the IPL final to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while playoff matches were allotted to Dharamshala and New Chandigarh stadiums.

Saikia revealed that Bengaluru was originally scheduled to host one playoff and the IPL final because Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were the defending champions.

“Under normal IPL protocol, the defending champion franchise gets hosting rights for one playoff and the final. Therefore, Bengaluru should have hosted the marquee matches,” he said.

“However, due to certain developments and serious difficulties in hosting the matches in Bengaluru, the BCCI had to take a hard decision to move the games out of Karnataka.”

Saikia said the controversy began after the BCCI e-mailed the KSCA on May 1, reiterating that host state associations are entitled to only 15 percent of total stadium capacity as complimentary tickets.

“All remaining tickets must be sold online for the general public. This is not only an IPL norm but also in line with the mandate of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to ensure common cricket fans get fair access to tickets,” he said.

According to the BCCI Secretary, the KSCA’s reply on May 2 sought a massive additional allocation beyond the approved quota.

“After taking the 15 percent complimentary tickets, they wanted another huge chunk for members, clubs, life members and miscellaneous categories. Most surprisingly, they demanded 900 complimentary tickets for MLAs and MLCs and another 700 tickets for the Karnataka Government,” Saikia alleged.

He said the total additional demand crossed 10,000 tickets.

“If we had accepted all these demands, only a few thousand tickets would have remained for the general public. That would have been a direct violation of BCCI norms and Supreme Court directives,” he asserted.

Saikia stressed that while league-stage IPL matches are jointly conducted by franchises and state associations, the playoffs and final are organised directly by the BCCI, which cannot dilute its regulations.

“The BCCI is the sole hosting authority for playoff and final matches. We cannot compromise established protocols,” he said.

Defending Ahmedabad’s selection, Saikia said the Narendra Modi Stadium was best suited for the IPL final due to its massive capacity of over 1.32 lakh spectators and surging global demand for tickets.

“IPL is now a global sporting event. Fans travel from across the world to witness the final,” he added. Saikia also clarified that Punjab Kings, as last season’s runners-up, were entitled to host playoff fixtures under IPL policy, which is why Dharamshala and New Chandigarh were awarded matches.