Playoff Results & Venues
RCB (1st) vs GT (2nd) — Winner went straight to Final
Result
RCB won by 92 runs — straight to Final
RCB 254/5 (20) · GT 162 all out (19.3)
RR (3rd) vs SRH (4th) — Loser eliminated
Result
RR won by 47 runs — SRH eliminated
RR 243/8 (20) · SRH 196 (20)
MoM: Vaibhav Suryavanshi 97 (29 balls, 12 sixes)
GT vs RR — 2nd Final spot
Result
GT won by 7 wickets (8 balls left) — through to Final
RR 214/6 (20) · GT 219/3 (18.4)
MoM: Shubman Gill 104
RCB vs GT — Champion crowned
Result
RCB won by 5 wickets (12 balls left) — back-to-back champions
GT 155/8 (20) · RCB 161/5 (18.0)
MoM: Virat Kohli 75* (42)
Playoff Format Explained
League Stage
All 10 teams play 14 matches each. Top 4 qualify for the playoffs.
Qualifier 1 — 1st vs 2nd
Top two teams play. The winner goes directly to the Final. The loser gets another chance in Qualifier 2.
Eliminator — 3rd vs 4th
3rd and 4th place teams battle. The loser is knocked out. The winner plays in Qualifier 2.
Qualifier 2 — Q1 Loser vs Eliminator Winner
The winner earns the second spot in the Final.
Final — Q1 Winner vs Q2 Winner
The two finalists meet at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026.
All IPL Champions (2008–2025)
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2025 | RCBRoyal Challengers Bengaluru |
| 2024 | KKRKolkata Knight Riders |
| 2023 | CSKChennai Super Kings |
| 2022 | GTGujarat Titans |
| 2021 | CSKChennai Super Kings |
| 2020 | MIMumbai Indians |
| 2019 | MIMumbai Indians |
| 2018 | CSKChennai Super Kings |
| 2017 | MIMumbai Indians |
| 2016 | SRHSunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2015 | MIMumbai Indians |
| 2014 | KKRKolkata Knight Riders |
| 2013 | MIMumbai Indians |
| 2012 | KKRKolkata Knight Riders |
| 2011 | CSKChennai Super Kings |
| 2010 | CSKChennai Super Kings |
| 2009 | DCHDeccan Chargers |
| 2008 | RRRajasthan Royals |
IPL 2026 Playoffs — FAQs
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.
Live Standings
The top 4 teams from the league stage qualify. Standings updated after every match.
View IPL 2026 Points TableIPL 2026 Coverage
Playoff Venues
HPCA Stadium
Dharamshala
Qualifier 1
New International CS
New Chandigarh
Eliminator & Q2
Narendra Modi Stadium
Ahmedabad
Final 🏆
IPL 2026 Playoffs — Format and Results
The IPL uses a four-team playoff system that gives the top two sides two chances to reach the final. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals qualified from the 2026 league stage, finishing in that order on points with 18, 16, 14 and 14 respectively.
Qualifier 1 pits the top two sides against each other: the winner goes directly to the final, while the loser gets another shot. RCB defeated GT in a high-scoring Qualifier 1 at Wankhede, posting 198 and defending it comfortably. GT had to regroup for Qualifier 2.
The Eliminatoris a straight knockout between the third and fourth-place teams. SRH faced RR with elimination on the line and prevailed by 23 runs, Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking three wickets in the final three overs to defend 161. Rajasthan Royals — despite Vaibhav Suryavanshi's 776-run league campaign — could not chase.
Qualifier 2 gives the beaten Qualifier 1 team one more chance, this time against the Eliminator winner. GT overcame SRH by 7 wickets, Shubman Gill scoring 87 to set up the final rematch against RCB in Ahmedabad. The two-shot structure distinguishes IPL from single-elimination T20 tournaments: a team can lose Qualifier 1 and still become champions, as Kolkata Knight Riders did in 2024. It ensures the two best league-stage sides both have a path to the final, rather than either being eliminated by a single bad day.
For the full scorecard and match report of the final itself, see the IPL 2026 Final page. The Playoff Race tracker records how the top-four standings evolved week by week across the league stage.