Karnataka Leader Reportedly Directs Government to Provide MLAs 4 VIP IPL Tickets Amid Access Complaints

Following a meeting with KSCA's Venkatesh Prasad, the Karnataka government has assured each MLA and MLC will now receive two IPL tickets.

Karnataka Leader Reportedly Directs Government to Provide MLAs 4 VIP IPL Tickets Amid Access Complaints

Karnataka speaker urged the government to fetch complimentary IPL tickets to MLA and MLCs. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Karnataka MLAs are demanding four VIP IPL tickets per match day amid complaints of inadequate access.
  • The state speaker directed the government to ensure legislators receive guaranteed tickets, increasing their quota.
  • Controversy arises as the Chinnaswamy Stadium has limited VIP seating, overshadowing concerns for victims of a past stampede.

Ahead of the 2026 IPL opener featuring the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a controversy over the ‘blatant’ VIP culture has erupted in Bengaluru.

Karnataka MLAs have demanded IPL tickets for each match day, amid a scuffle with the state’s cricketing body. 

IPL 2026 is all set to begin tomorrow, with the season’s first match to be played between RCB and SRH at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Cricket will return to the venue for the first time in almost a year.

It was banned from hosting matches following the disastrous stampede. The Chinnaswamy Stadium will not only host the season opener but also the tournament final on May 31, 2026.

The latter half of the IPL schedule was released recently. The 40,000-capacity stadium in Bengaluru will host a total of seven matches during the league stages, welcoming heavyweights like CSK (April 5), MI (May 10), and KKR (May 13).

With ticket sales having begun, Karnataka MLAs and MLCs have urged the government to ensure they receive guaranteed tickets for all IPL match days throughout the summer.

During an assembly debate on development, opposition leader R. Ashok raised the issue. He noted that the Karnataka State Cricket Association has been a beneficiary of the state’s policies, including access to land, security, and electricity at a nominal cost, and that the KSCA should show ‘respect’ in return.

He further alleged that IPL tickets are often sold in the black market, as a result of which legislators are denied access that they supposedly ‘deserve’.

They are taking all facilities from the government security and everything else, but they are not respecting the MLAs. They are not issuing tickets and are instead asking us to book them online.

This demand found support across party lines, as speaker U.T. Khader stated that the complimentary ticket quota for MLAs and MLCs should be increased. He directed the state government to ensure that each legislator received four tickets per match, while specifying that these should grant them access only to the VIP seating arrangement. Going against the current arrangement of a ticket per legislator, Khader emphasized that they should not be forced to stand with the general public or in queues. 

It presents a major problem because the Chinnaswamy stadium only has about 320 VIP seats, fewer than the number of tickets requested. The focus of lawmakers on securing their own tickets overshadowed the voices of those who had lost family in the stampede.

Major setback for RCB: Sri Lankan pacer denied NOC for IPL 2026 after failing fitness test

Defending champions RCB might find themselves short of options in the pace bowling department, ahead of the 2026 IPL season. Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Thushara will not be available to play for the moment, after being denied NOC by the SLC. 

Nuwan Thushara IPL
Nuwan Thushara might be ruled out of IPL 2026, after being denied NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

RCB will take on SRH in the tournament opener at home. The team, however, will have to field a depleted playing XI for the first game, without first-choice players like Josh Hazlewood. The Australian speedster is recovering from an injury and is expected to be out for the start of the season. Moreover, the team has also been forced to release Yash Dayal from the squad due to the ongoing legal issues he is facing.

Adding to the worries, Nuwan Thushara has now been ruled out of the first match, after failing to pass the mandatory fitness test conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket. He has been denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) by the board, for not achieving the pass score of 17 out of 29 during the test. Though the 31-year-old is not injured at the moment, it is a necessity for Sri Lankan cricketers to meet the metrics.

Thushara will be allowed to undertake the test in a week’s time again, and failing it would mean an end to his IPL hopes. He was expected to be one of the overseas bowling options to replace Josh Hazlewood, with New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy now the only player in the ranks.

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