The IPL 2026 playoff line-up was confirmed after Rajasthan Royals registered a commanding 30-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, sealing the final available spot in the top four.
The fourth playoff berth had been a closely contested race involving the Rajasthan Royals, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Punjab Kings. While defeats for RR and KKR would have handed Punjab Kings the qualification advantage, Rajasthan ensured a decisive finish with a dominant performance that not only secured their own progression but also eliminated both PBKS and KKR from the race.
IPL 2026 | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
With the victory, RR completed the playoff quartet and joined the already-qualified sides in the IPL 2026 knockout stage, bringing an end to a tense mid-table battle for the final spot.
| Rank | Team | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RCB | 9 | 5 | 18 | 0.783 |
| 2 | GT | 9 | 5 | 18 | 0.695 |
| 3 | SRH | 9 | 5 | 18 | 0.524 |
| 4 | RR | 8 | 6 | 16 | 0.189 |
IPL 2026 Playoff Fixtures
The playoffs begin on May 26 in Dharmasala with Qualifier 1, featuring table toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru and second-ranked Gujarat Titans. The winner of this game will cruise into the final, while the losing side will have another shot at the championship.
The Eliminator is scheduled to be played on May 27 in Mullanpur, between the third-ranked Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, who finished fourth on the points table. The losing side will be knocked out, while the winners will face the losing team of Qualifier 1 in the next face-off.
The winner of the Eliminator and the team losing the Qualifier 1 will lock horns in the Qualifier 2, scheduled to be played in Mullanpur on May 29. The winner of this fixture will march into the final, which will be held in Ahmedabad on May 31.
| Match | Fixture | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | RCB vs GT | May 26, 2026 | Dharamsala |
| Eliminator | SRH vs RR | May 27, 2026 | Mullanpur |
| Qualifier 2 | Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1 | May 29, 2026 | Mullanpur |
| Final | Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 | May 31, 2026 | Ahmedabad |
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals sealed the fourth and final playoff spot in IPL 2026 with a 30-run win over Mumbai Indians in a crucial clash on Sunday. Jofra Archer starred with an all-round show, smashing 32 off 15 balls and returning superb figures of 4-0-17-3. RR posted 205/8, boosted by a late surge of 73 runs in the final five overs, with Ravindra Jadeja adding a quick 19 not out.
Mumbai Indians were restricted to 175/9 despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 60 and brief resistance from Hardik Pandya and Will Jacks. Archer’s early strikes, including the dismissal of Rohit Sharma, broke MI’s chase and sealed RR’s qualification while eliminating PBKS and KKR.
