IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule: IPL 2026 now moves into the playoff stage with four teams left in the race for the title. RCB and GT, who finished first and second in the points table, will meet in Qualifier 1 on May 26 in Dharamsala. The winner will go straight into the final on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
The losing side from Qualifier 1 will still stay alive but will face a much tougher route. They will travel from Dharamsala to New Chandigarh for Qualifier 2 on May 29.
SRH and RR, who finished third and fourth, will play the Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh. That match is a straight knockout. The losing team will be eliminated, while the winner will move on to face the loser of RCB vs GT in Qualifier 2.
The playoff schedule leaves very little recovery time. The winner of Qualifier 2 will have only one day before traveling to Ahmedabad for the final against the winner of Qualifier 1.
At the other end of the table, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants had disappointing seasons. MI finished ninth, while LSG ended last. Both teams managed only four wins from 14 matches.
The IPL 2026 season started on March 28 with defending champions RCB facing SRH at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule: RCB vs GT in Qualifier 1, SRH Face RR in Eliminator
The IPL 2026 playoffs are now fully set after the four qualified teams were confirmed. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will fight for the title over the next few days.
Qualifier 1 will see defending champions RCB face GT in Dharamsala on May 26 at 7:30 PM IST. Both teams finished in the top two, which means the winner goes straight to the IPL 2026 final. The losing side will still get another chance through Qualifier 2.
The Eliminator will be played on May 27 at 7:30 PM IST in Mullanpur. SRH will take on RR in a knockout clash where the losing team will be eliminated immediately. The winner will move into Qualifier 2 and face the loser of RCB vs GT for a spot in the final.
The playoffs bring together four teams with very different strengths. RCB and GT have looked like the most complete sides this season. SRH’s aggressive batting and RR’s late surge have kept them alive in the title race. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill will again be among the biggest names to watch as the tournament enters its final stage.
| Match | Teams | Venue | Date |
| Qualifier 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium | May 26 |
| Eliminator | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals | New International Cricket Stadium | May 27 |
| Qualifier 2 | TBD vs TBD | New International Cricket Stadium | May 29 |
| Final | TBD vs TBD | Narendra Modi Stadium | May 3 |
IPL 2026 Playoffs Set: How RCB, GT, SRH and RR Reached the Final Four
RCB, GT, SRH and RR finally secured the top four spots at the end of the league stage. All four teams reached the playoffs in very different ways. But each had players who carried them through key moments of the season.
RCB finished at the top of the table with 18 points from 14 matches. The defending champions stayed consistent through most of the season and looked balanced in both batting and bowling. Virat Kohli once again topped for RCB with 557 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished the tournament with 24 wickets. Their strong net run rate helped them edge past GT for first place and earn a direct spot in Qualifier 1.
GT matched RCB with 18 points but finished second because of net run rate. Shubman Gill’s side once again showed why they remain one of the most reliable IPL teams. Sai Sudharsan led the batting effort with a brilliant season, scoring 638 runs and staying in the Orange Cap race. Kagiso Rabada delivered regular breakthroughs and shared the lead in the Purple Cap standings with 24 wickets.
SRH also finished with 18 points but ended third because their net run rate was slightly lower than RCB and GT. Their season was built around fearless batting. Heinrich Klaasen had another explosive campaign with 606 runs, while Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma gave SRH fast starts regularly. Their bowling attack was less experienced but Eshan Malinga stepped up with 19 wickets. Since they finished third, SRH now face RR in the Eliminator.
RR grabbed the final playoff spot after beating Mumbai Indians in a must-win match on the last day of the league phase. They finished with 16 points after winning eight matches. Their season had ups and downs. But they found form at the right time. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the breakout star of the tournament with 583 runs. Jofra Archer led the bowling attack with 21 wickets.
Now the playoffs begin with RCB facing GT in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala. The winner goes straight to the final. SRH and RR meet in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh, where the loser’s season will end immediately.
FAQs
Q. Which teams qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs?
A. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals reached the playoffs.
Q. What is the Qualifier 1 match in IPL 2026?
A. Qualifier 1 is between RCB and GT on May 26 in Dharamsala. The winner will go directly to the IPL final.
Q. What happens in the Eliminator match?
A. SRH and RR will play the Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh. The losing team will be knocked out of the tournament.
Q. Which stadium will host the IPL 2026 final?
A. The IPL 2026 final will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31.
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