Ahmedabad To Host IPL 2026 Final While Bengaluru Misses Out As Playoffs Schedule Gets Announced

Hyderabad: The wait for the schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs is finally over for the fans as the schedule has been revealed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ahmedabad will host the summit clash, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be hosted in Mullanpur. Qualifier 1 will be played in Dharamshala.

Notably, Bengaluru was originally designated to host the final. But certain requirements from the local association and authorities were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols, and so the venue has been shifted.

The tournament has already entered its business end, and the playoffs will start after the conclusion of 70 league stage matches. The Playoffs phase will start with Qualifier 1, which will be played between the top two teams in the points table on May 26 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, and the winner will secure a berth directly into the final.

Next, the Eliminator between the third and fourth-placed teams will be played on May 27 at the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. The same venue will host Qualifier 2 on May 29, where the loser of Qualifier 1 will square off against the winner of the Eliminator to determine the other finalist.

The action will then move to its final venue - Ahmedabad, where the title decider will be played on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

IPL 2026 playoffs schedule

Qualifier 1 – May 26 – HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala

Eliminator – May 27 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

Qualifier 2 – May 29 – New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh

Final – May 31 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

IPL 2026 points table

Five teams - Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans - are in strong contention to qualify for the playoffs. PBKS are at the top of the points table with 13 points from nine matches with a net run rate of +0.855. The other four teams are on 12 points in the standings.