IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule: RCB vs GT in Qualifier 1, SRH vs RR in Eliminator

Rajasthan Royals completed their IPL 2026 play-off line-up with a crucial win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the top four after a dramatic final day of the league stage.

RR’s victory in the afternoon game they confirmed their qualification and ended the hopes of Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Royals climbed to 16 points with the win, moving ahead of Punjab, who ended their campaign on 15 points after defeating Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. KKR, despite having one more league game against Delhi Capitals on Sunday night, could only manage a maximum of 15 points and were officially eliminated.

The IPL 2026 play-offs will begin with Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on May 26. The two teams finished first and second in the points table and the winner of the encounter will advance directly to the finals in Ahmedabad on May 31.

MI vs RR: Highlights | Scorecard

The loser of Qualifier 1 will still have another chance to challenge for the title but will have little time to recover as they travel from Dharamsala to New Chandigarh on May 29 for Qualifier 2.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, who finished the league stage third and fourth respectively, will meet in the Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh. The stakes in this match are simple: the loser will leave the tournament while the winner will advance to Qualifier 2 where they will face the loser of RCB vs GT for a place in the final.

Just a day separates Qualifier 2 and the Final and the second runner-up will travel to Ahmedabad on 30 May before the Summit on 31 May.

The qualification race tightened considerably after Punjab Kings kept themselves alive with a win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. Punjab’s win meant that RR needed to beat Mumbai Indians to keep the door open for KKR, who were dependent on many results.

A defeat in Rajasthan would turn the last league match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals into a pressure contest, with KKR needing to chase down DC’s target within 12 overs to overhaul RR on pure pace. But the Royals made sure there was no late drama.

RR earned their spot in the playoffs with a performance that showed both poise and character. On the slow Wankhede surface, Rajasthan soon found themselves under pressure after losing both openers cheaply and struggling to gain momentum in the middle overs.

That was when Jofra Archer stepped up with a wonderful all-rounder. Promoted up the order, Archer changed the pace of the innings with a fearless cameo that lifted Rajasthan to a competitive total on a pitch where the stroke play was not straightforward.

Mumbai Indians threatened during the chase through Suryakumar Yadav, Will Jacks and Hardik Pandya. Suryakumar once again anchored the innings with authority while Hardik attacked aggressively to briefly revive MI’s hopes. But RR stayed ahead for most of the match, controlling the game with disciplined bowling and crisp execution at key moments.

The result capped off a disappointing season for Mumbai Indians, who remained ninth in the standings ahead of Lucknow Super Giants. Both sides finished IPL 2026 with just four wins from 14 matches.

Attention now shifts to the Eliminator at New Chandigarh, where Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will clash in what promises to be one of the most exciting games of the season. Hyderabad’s explosive opening combination of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma will come up against a confident Rajasthan side that has gained momentum at the right stage of the tournament.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

24 May 2026 20:05 IST

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