IPL 2026 Playoffs

Who won the IPL 2026 final?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the IPL 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026 — chasing 156, RCB got home at 161/5 with 12 balls to spare. Virat Kohli (75* off 42) was named Man of the Match. RCB became only the third franchise after CSK and MI to defend the IPL title.

What were the four IPL 2026 playoff results?

Q1 (26 May, Dharamshala): RCB beat GT by 92 runs (RCB 254/5; GT 162 ao) and booked the direct Final spot. Eliminator (27 May, New Chandigarh): RR beat SRH by 47 runs, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashing 97 off 29. Q2 (29 May, New Chandigarh): GT beat RR by 7 wickets (Gill 104) to take the second Final spot. Final (31 May, Ahmedabad): RCB beat GT by 5 wickets.

What is the IPL playoff format?

Four teams qualify for the IPL playoffs. In Qualifier 1, the top two teams play — the winner goes directly to the Final. In the Eliminator, 3rd vs 4th play and the loser is eliminated. In Qualifier 2, the Q1 loser faces the Eliminator winner — the winner goes to the Final. The two finalists then meet in the grand finale.

Where were the IPL 2026 Eliminator and Qualifier 2 played?

Both the Eliminator (27 May) and Qualifier 2 (29 May) were played at the New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, Punjab.

Who has won the IPL most times?

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are joint-most successful IPL teams with five titles each. Mumbai Indians won in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Chennai Super Kings won in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. Kolkata Knight Riders are third with three titles (2012, 2014, 2024). RCB sit fourth on two titles (2025, 2026).

Did RCB defend the IPL title in 2026?

Yes. RCB came in as defending champions after winning IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens. They topped the league stage, beat GT in Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala, then beat them again by 5 wickets in the Final at Ahmedabad to defend the trophy — joining CSK (2010–11) and MI (2019–20) as the only franchises to win back-to-back IPL titles.