IPL 2026 Playoffs: Rajasthan Royals have defeated the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium to become the fourth team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs. The Royals, led by Riyan Parag, put on a dominating performance thanks to Jofra Archer’s all-round performance. With this result, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings have been eliminated from the race to the playoffs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, having finished at the top of the IPL 2026 points table, will clash in Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals will play in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh.
IPL 2026 Playoffs: RCB vs GT Set For High-Stakes Qualifier 1
Despite losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished on top of the points table in the league stages. It was an exceptional year for Rajat Patidar’s team as the team saw first-class performance from Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya. Gujarat Titans, however, finished second after another good season with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan leading the way. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada were clinical with the new ball. The Qualifier 1 between RCB and GT will be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on 26th May. The team that wins will directly reach for the final and the team that loses gets another chance through Qualifier 2.
IPL 2026 Playoffs: SRH To Face RR In Eliminator
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s fearless batting persisted all season, and they enter the playoffs in a good run of form. They qualified in third place after getting the better of RCB by 55 runs in their final league game of the season. Rajasthan Royals snatched the fourth and final playoff slot after beating Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the race for qualifiers. Riyan Parag’s captaincy and Rajasthan’s late surge was crucial in their qualification. The Eliminator fixture between SRH and RR will be played at New Chandigarh on May 27, with the loser going out of the tournament. Meanwhile, the winner of Eliminator will face the loser from Qualifier 1.
PBKS And KKR Crash Out From IPL 2026 Playoffs Race
Although, in last round they were still in mathematical hunt, Punjab Kings missed plenty of golden opportunities. Though KXIP had few moments of their glory this season, inconsistent performance by middle order batsmen led to their downfall in the competition. KKR with them been eliminated after losing the net run rate tie-breaker. KKR required a huge victory margin in their final encounter, but could not deliver their best.
IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule
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Qualifier 1: RCB vs GT — May 26, Dharamshala
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Eliminator: SRH vs RR — May 27, New Chandigarh
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Qualifier 2: May 29, New Chandigarh
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Final: May 31, Ahmedabad
As Virat Kohli starred RCB chase successive IPL titles, Shubman Gill will be eyeing his maiden trophy as GT captain. At the other end, SRH will be trying a title run through the Eliminator route anew (as 2016), while RR seek their second trophy (first in 2008). The IPL 2026 playoffs is set to provide blockbuster entertainment in the next week.
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Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
