IPL 2026 begins on Saturday with RCB vs SRH clash and inside the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the conversation was not about Virat Kohli’s form or Josh Hazlewood’s injury, it was about who gets to watch.
Karnataka MLAs from both sides of the house united to demand that the Karnataka State Cricket Association provide each legislator with a minimum of four to five VIP tickets for IPL matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with complaints ranging from being made to stand in queues to receiving ordinary seats alongside the general public.
What was said on the floor by Karnataka’s LOP R Ashoka
The issue was raised by Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka during a debate on Bengaluru’s development, and the grievance he put forward was a pointed one. “We have given them 16.32 acres of land at a nominal price of just about INR 1,600 a month, but they charge us thousands for match tickets. They have crores of rupees and they loot us, and the government wants to build another stadium for such people. They need to be taught a lesson,” he said in the Assembly.
Prior to the Congress MLA demanding IPL tickets, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka raised the issue in the Assembly, alleging that they have to plead for tickets despite the government giving land to the KSCA at nominal rates.
Bengaluru
The #Karnataka Legislative Assembly… pic.twitter.com/0uKXEBtZoB
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Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashapanavar went further, demanding five tickets per legislator and separate seating arrangements entirely. “We are VIPs. We can’t go in the queue and stand there. We went last time. We were standing in the queue. They are sending us to a gallery with the public. It’s not going to happen,” he said.
“We are VIPs, We Cannot Stand in Queues: KSCA Should Give 5 Tickets to Each MLA and Minister of Karnataka,” says Congress MLA Vijayananda Kashapanavar.
Bengaluru
Congress MLA Vijayananda Kashapanavar has strongly criticized the Karnataka State Cricket Association (#KSCA) for… pic.twitter.com/hkG3UEhPb0
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Kashapanavar also alleged black marketeering in the online sale of tickets, claiming that even legislators were unable to purchase them through official channels. BJP member Abhay Patil echoed that concern and demanded an inquiry into the alleged black-market trade.
Also READ: IPL 2026 full schedule announced; 50 matches across 12 venues in phase 2
What the speaker UT Khader and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said
Assembly Speaker UT Khader directed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to take the matter up with the KSCA and ensure that each MLA receives a minimum of four VIP tickets. “They sometimes give just one ticket to MLAs, they must be informed that when MLAs go, they should give a minimum of four tickets to the MLA and family,” Khader said.
Shivakumar assured the House he would speak personally to KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad to resolve the situation, adding that there was nothing wrong in legislators seeking such perks. “I will use your name and, through the government, speak to the KSCA President and sort this out. I’m a member there too. MLAs have every right to ask,” he said, before lightening the mood, “I will surely tell them this is a request from Samrat Ashok.”
What it says about the broader ticket situation ahead of RCB vs SRH IPL 2026 opener
The scenes inside the Assembly on Wednesday are a reflection of something that has been playing out more publicly around this IPL opener, tickets for the Chinnaswamy including RCB vs SRH are exceptionally difficult to come by, prices on the secondary market have reached INR 20,000 and beyond for premium seats, and the demand for the defending champions’ home opener against SRH has created a scramble that extends well beyond ordinary fans.
When elected legislators are complaining they cannot get in, and the ones who do get in are being sent to stand in queues with the general public, it is a measure of just how completely the appetite for this match has outstripped the supply of tickets available for it.
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