However, the list of the four finalists is already set after the intense league stage which lasted until the last day. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals are the teams that have managed to qualify to the knock out stage of the tournament. The four finalists demonstrated good performances throughout the season but made different moves in order to make their way to the knock outs. While the first place belongs to RCB because of the net run rate, the fourth place was obtained by RR as a result of victory over Mumbai Indians. Next, the playoff games will take place in Dharamsala, New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
The first, second and third places were taken by the RCB, GT and SRH who earned 18 points for each of them in 14 matches, respectively. It should be mentioned that the fourth position belongs to Rajasthan Royals due to 16 points earned by them during the league games as a result of overcoming the pressure from Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Which teams have qualified for the playoffs?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished first with a net run rate of +0.783 after winning nine matches. Gujarat Titans followed closely with +0.695, while Sunrisers Hyderabad took third place with +0.542. Rajasthan Royals secured the final position after winning eight games.
RCB entered the playoffs as defending champions and one of the most balanced teams of the season. GT relied heavily on the opening pair of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, both among the leading run-scorers. SRH built their campaign around explosive batting, while RR recovered from a mid-season dip to qualify on the final day.
IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule: Dates and Venues
The playoffs will begin on May 26 with Qualifier 1 between RCB and GT at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. The Eliminator between SRH and RR will be played a day later at the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Qualifier 2 is scheduled for May 29 at the same venue in New Chandigarh. The IPL 2026 final will take place on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Every playoff match will begin at 7:30 PM IST.
Which teams will play Qualifier 1 in IPL 2026?
RCB and Gujarat Titans will play against each other in the Qualifier 1 round since they both stand at the top two positions in the league table. The team that wins in this match will advance to the final round, whereas the other will have yet another chance in Qualifier 2. RCB come into the match with confidence despite having suffered an emphatic loss in their last match of the league stage. In fact, Kohli managed to score 557 runs throughout the entire season, whereas Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 24 wickets for RCB. Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, managed to recover from their initial two losses.
Which teams will play the Eliminator in IPL 2026?
The Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals teams will be facing each other in the Eliminator, which is scheduled for the 27th of May. This will be an elimination game, with no chance of replay, in contrast to Qualifier 1. The Sunrisers have come into this match in high spirits owing to their victory against RCB in their last league match. Heinrich Klaasen has amassed 606 runs, whereas Eshan Malinga has taken 19 wickets for the SRH side. However, the Rajasthan Royals team is also coming into this match after two consecutive victories.
Second trophy awaits
Another prominent narrative in the current playoffs is that all the four franchises left in the battle already have one IPL crown to their name. The Royal Challengers Bangalore seek to defend their title, which was achieved in 2025. The Gujarat Titans have already secured their maiden title in their debut year of 2022, while Sunrisers Hyderabad last clinched the trophy in 2016. The Rajasthan Royals were the first ever IPL champions in 2008. It will soon be revealed which franchise ends up winning their second IPL crown in the upcoming week. With all four sides carrying form, match-winners and playoff experience, the final stage of IPL 2026 promises another tight finish.
