Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 26 (ANI): Congress MLA Kashappanavar Vijayananda Shivashankarappa has raised serious allegations against the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), accusing them of selling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 tickets in black market rather than issuing them to legislators and their families.

The IPL match scheduled for March 28 has sparked controversy as Shivashankarappa claimed that, despite being entitled to complimentary tickets, MLAs and ministers have been left without access to the event.

Speaking to media persons here, Shivashankarappa expressed his frustration, saying, '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 facilities from the government... But they are not respecting the MLAs. They are not issuing the tickets... They are selling it in black. One ticket, which costs 5000 rupees, we are buying it for 35000 rupees.'

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first phase of the IPL 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12.

The 19th edition of the biggest T20 league on the globe will commence with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues in the first-phase of the IPL. The venues are Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening encounter, the Mumbai Indians will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur. (ANI)