A demand for complimentary tickets to Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has sparked controversy in Karnataka, with Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader directing the state government to ensure that each MLA receives at least four premium tickets. The issue came to the fore after Congress MLA Vijayananda Kashappanavar criticised the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for failing to allocate tickets to legislators and ministers ahead of the IPL 2026 season, which opens with a match in Bengaluru on 28 March.
Speaking to reporters, Kashappanavar, who represents the Hungund constituency, argued that elected representatives were “VIPs” who could not be expected to queue for tickets or sit among the general public. He said, “There is an IPL match on the 28th, but KSCA has not provided tickets to MLAs, ministers or their families. They are taking all the facilities from the government…But they are not respecting the MLAs.”
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Congress MLA Kashappanavar Vijayananda Shivashankarappa says, "There is an IPL match going to start on the 28th of this month. Karnataka State Cricket Association has not provided the tickets for the MLAs, ministers and their families. They are taking all the… pic.twitter.com/RO8IqZb3fk
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2026
He added, “We are VIPs, we can’t go in the queue and stand there. We went last time, we were made to stand in line and then sent to a common gallery with the public. This should not happen again.”
He further alleged that online ticket sales had led to widespread black marketing, with tickets priced at ₹5,000 being resold for as much as ₹35,000. “They are not issuing tickets to MLAs, ministers, or their families. Instead, they are asking people to book online. We all know how online booking works – it leads to black marketing,” he added.
Kashappanavar demanded that the KSCA provide at least five complimentary tickets to each legislator, along with separate seating arrangements and a dedicated lounge. He noted that the matter had already been raised by opposition leader R. Ashok in the Assembly and taken up with the Speaker. The BJP MLA had said that the government had leased 16.32 acres for the stadium at a nominal rent, and yet, MLAs struggle to obtain even a single ticket. Vijayananda Kashappanavar supported the demand and sought at least five tickets for each MLA, along with better sitting arrangements and dedicated lounge.
In response to the demands, speaker Khader instructed Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take up the issue directly with the KSCA and ensure that every MLA is allotted a minimum of four VIP tickets for the upcoming matches. Shivakumar said he would speak to KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, and added that there was nothing wrong in legislators seeking such perks.
