The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru will no longer host the Duleep Trophy final. In order to accommodate fans, Devajit Saikia, the board secretary, revealed on Wednesday that the summit match of the top domestic competition will now take place at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Large gatherings at the CoE campus are now prohibited by government regulations. The public’s access to the event during its earlier rounds has been restricted because only close family members or associates of team members are allowed to attend matches held within the facility.
Six zonal teams will compete in the Duleep Trophy 2026–27 competition, which begins on August 23. The CoE in Bengaluru will host the quarterfinals and semifinals, but the BCCI is currently looking at other locations for the final so that spectators can watch the match in person.
The Duleep Trophy 2026–27 will start its first round on August 23 and its second round on August 30. There won’t be any spectators throughout either round. The final will take place in Chennai from September 6–10. During the last tournament, the topic of spectator access had already gained attention.
The CoE hosted the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy; however, fans were unable to attend the games. Additionally, there was no television coverage of the first round; thus, spectators had little chance to watch the domestic action.
According to the KSCA, any event that draws more than 5,000 fans to Chinnaswamy Stadium must adhere to the court-mandated procedures established following the stampede incident of the previous year. Before approving a venue change, the BCCI must take these responsibilities into account. The board has a short window of time to finish the hosting preparations because the tournament starts on August 23 and the final is set for September 6–10.
