Bengaluru, June 1 : Chief Minister-designate and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Monday alleged that influence from Gujarat led to the shifting of the IPL final from Karnataka to Ahmedabad, depriving fans in the state of hosting the marquee match.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the IPL final should have been held in Karnataka and that the state government had granted the necessary permissions. "But those from Gujarat used their influence and snatched away the match from us by shifting it to Ahmedabad," he alleged.

Shivakumar said efforts would be made to ensure that Karnataka does not lose out on hosting such major sporting events in the future. "We are making preparations so that such matches are not taken away from Karnataka in the future. It may take some time, but we are committed to strengthening our position," he said.

Describing the development as an injustice to both the state's cricket infrastructure and its youth, Shivakumar said many young cricket enthusiasts were disappointed at not being able to watch the final at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

"It is an injustice to the stadium we have here and also to the youngsters. The cricket final was supposed to be played here, but they did not allow it and shifted it to Ahmedabad. Naturally, many young fans are disappointed that they could not witness the final in Bengaluru," he said.

Congratulating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team on their successful campaign, Shivakumar said the franchise had brought pride to Karnataka.

"The RCB team, which is identified as Karnataka's team, has played exceptionally well. On behalf of the people of Karnataka and RCB supporters across the state, I congratulate the players and wish them continued success. They should be proud of their achievement," he said.

Referring to past differences, Shivakumar added that Karnataka had moved forward and was focused on a new beginning. "Whatever happened in the past, we have forgotten and moved towards a new beginning. This is a success story. All the players performed very well, and I congratulate the entire RCB team," he said.

Expressing confidence about the future, Shivakumar said Karnataka would continue to play a major role in Indian cricket. "The future is again with Karnataka," he added.

The IPL 2026 final was originally scheduled to be held at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, were expected to host the title clash under IPL convention. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later shifted the final to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

The BCCI stated that the venue was changed due to certain requirements raised by local authorities and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) that were beyond the board's established guidelines and protocols.

The issue turned into a row as the decision came immediately after the Karnataka government mandated the KSCA to provide complementary tickets to legislators. Reports stated that the demand included around 900 tickets for MLAs and MLCs, along with additional allocations for government commitments.

/IANS