IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule Confirmed After Rajasthan Royals Seal Final Spot

The race to the IPL 2026 playoffs has officially come to an end with Rajasthan Royals securing the final qualification spot after a convincing victory against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. With the league phase now completed, fans can shift their focus toward the highly anticipated knockout stage of the tournament.

Before this crucial encounter, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings were involved in a tense battle for the final playoff position. A defeat for Rajasthan would have opened the door for Punjab Kings. However, Rajasthan produced a strong all round performance to confirm their place and also ended the playoff hopes of Punjab and Kolkata.

The match itself turned into a memorable outing for Rajasthan Royals all rounder Jofra Archer, who delivered a game changing performance with both bat and ball. Archer scored a quick 32 runs from just 15 deliveries and later played a vital role with the ball by taking three wickets while conceding only 17 runs in his four overs. His dismissal of Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma proved to be a major turning point in the contest.

Batting first, Rajasthan Royals posted a challenging total of 205 runs for eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The side accelerated brilliantly in the final phase and added 73 runs in the last five overs to put pressure on Mumbai. Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 19 and contributed valuable runs during the closing stages.

Chasing a target of 206, Mumbai Indians attempted a fightback through Suryakumar Yadav who scored 60 runs. Hardik Pandya and Will Jacks also made contributions, but the team failed to build sustained momentum and eventually finished at 175 for nine, suffering a 30 run defeat.

The playoff stage now features Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals. The knockout schedule promises high intensity contests as teams battle for a place in the final and an opportunity to lift the IPL 2026 title.

IPL 2026 Playoffs Full Schedule

Qualifier 1
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans
May 26 Tuesday at Dharamshala
Winning team advances directly to the final while the losing team gets another chance in Qualifier 2

Eliminator
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
May 27 Wednesday at Mullanpur
Winning team moves to Qualifier 2 while the losing team is eliminated

Qualifier 2
Eliminator Winner vs Qualifier 1 Losing Team
May 29 Friday at Mullanpur
Winning team reaches the final

Grand Final
Qualifier 1 Winner vs Qualifier 2 Winner
May 31 Sunday at Ahmedabad
The match will decide the IPL 2026 champion and conclude the season with the title battle.