IPL 2026 final: Ahmedabad Metro ridership surges 66% to 1.95 lakh journeys
Synopsis
The IPL 2026 final didn't just break records on the pitch — it pushed Ahmedabad Metro to its highest-ever single-day ridership, with nearly two lakh journeys logged and trains running past 2 a.m. The 66% surge over the previous week shows how a single sporting event can stress-test — and ultimately validate — a city's public transit backbone.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Metro recorded 1,95,868 passenger journeys on 31 May 2026 , the day of the IPL 2026 final .
Ridership surged 66 per cent compared to 1,17,939 journeys on 24 May .
GMRC ran 62 additional train services and extended operations until 2:19 a.m. — nearly two hours beyond the initial 12:30 a.m. cutoff.
Phase 1 logged 1,77,106 journeys ; Phase 2 recorded 18,762 journeys on match day.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the final by five wickets , with Virat Kohli scoring an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls .
RCB became only the third IPL franchise in history to win back-to-back titles .
The Ahmedabad Metro recorded 1,95,868 passenger journeys on 31 May 2026 — the day of the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera — marking a 66 per cent surge over the 1,17,939 journeys logged on 24 May, according to the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC). The spike pushed single-day ridership close to the two-lakh mark, an unprecedented figure for the network.
Extended Operations Through the Night
GMRC had initially planned to extend metro services until 12:30 a.m. on match night. However, the volume of passengers leaving the stadium after the final forced the corporation to keep trains running well past that deadline. Services ultimately continued until 2:19 a.m., with the last train from Motera Metro Station towards APMC departing at that hour.
Maintaining connectivity on the East-West Corridor, the final train from Old High Court Metro Station departed at 2:45 a.m. The last service from Motera towards Gandhinagar left at 12:24 a.m. To absorb the surge, GMRC operated 62 additional metro train services beyond its regular timetable.
Phase-wise Ridership Breakdown
Data released by GMRC showed that Phase 1 of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro network recorded 1,77,106 passenger journeys on 31 May, up from 1,03,545 on 24 May. Phase 2 accounted for 18,762 journeys on match day, compared to 14,394 the previous week.
This comes amid growing evidence that major sporting events are becoming a reliable driver of public transport uptake in Indian cities — a trend urban planners and transit authorities have been keen to leverage.
The Match That Triggered the Rush
The IPL 2026 final saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeat Gujarat Titans by five wickets, chasing down a target of 156 with 12 balls to spare. Virat Kohli anchored the chase with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, as Bengaluru reached 161 for five in 18 overs. Gujarat Titans had posted 155 for eight after losing key wickets in the powerplay.
Notably, the victory made Royal Challengers Bengaluru only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, drawing one of the largest crowds of the season to Narendra Modi Stadium.
GMRC's Acknowledgement and Appeal
GMRC thanked commuters for maintaining discipline during the high-footfall event and acknowledged the support of Ahmedabad Police and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. 'GMRC requests citizens to make maximum use of the metro service, which is a safe, reliable, comfortable, environmentally friendly, and affordable mode of transport,' the corporation said in a press note issued on Monday, 1 June.
With the IPL demonstrating the metro's capacity to absorb large-scale event traffic, attention will now turn to whether GMRC institutionalises extended-hours planning for future high-footfall fixtures.
Point of View
But it also exposes a structural gap: GMRC's initial cutoff of 12:30 a.m. was clearly calibrated for a routine night, not a packed IPL final. The fact that services had to be extended ad hoc until 2:19 a.m. suggests the corporation lacked a pre-approved contingency protocol for major events. As Ahmedabad positions itself as a global sporting venue — the Narendra Modi Stadium is the world's largest cricket ground — GMRC will need a standing event-operations playbook, not reactive timetable adjustments. The ridership numbers make the business case obvious; the question is whether the planning infrastructure catches up.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many passengers used Ahmedabad Metro on IPL 2026 final day?
The Ahmedabad Metro recorded 1,95,868 passenger journeys on 31 May 2026, the day of the IPL 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium. This was a 66 per cent increase over the 1,17,939 journeys logged on 24 May.
How late did Ahmedabad Metro run on IPL final night?
Metro services ran until 2:19 a.m. on the night of the IPL final, well beyond the initially announced extension of 12:30 a.m. The last train from Old High Court Metro Station on the East-West Corridor departed at 2:45 a.m.
How many extra trains did GMRC run for the IPL final?
Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation operated 62 additional metro train services beyond the regular timetable to manage the surge in passenger demand following the IPL 2026 final.
Who won the IPL 2026 final and what was the result?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls as Bengaluru chased down 156 to reach 161 for five in 18 overs.
Is RCB the first team to win back-to-back IPL titles?
No. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 2026 title made them the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles. The victory came on the back of a dominant chase at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
