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The business side of IPL 2026 is just around the corner, and the BCCI has made the official announcement regarding the sale of tickets for the playoffs, with RuPay Credit Cardholders enjoying priority over other people.

District by Zomato has been appointed as the Official Ticketing Agency for the playoff matches, which run from May 26 to May 31 across three venues, Dharamshala, New Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad.

With only one team confirmed for the final four so far and three spots still fiercely contested, the matches that follow are going to be among the most watched of the entire season. Getting your tickets early is not just advisable, given the demand these fixtures generate, it is essentially mandatory.

When and how to buy your IPL 2026 playoff tickets

RuPay Credit Cardholders get a 24-hour head start on everyone else, with the priority window opening on May 20 at 7 PM for IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala and the Eliminator in New Chandigarh. General sale for those two matches opens the following evening, May 21 at 8 PM. For IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 and the Final, RuPay priority access begins May 22 at 7 PM, with non-exclusive general sale opening May 23 at 8 PM. All tickets are available through District by Zomato, the official platform for this phase of the tournament.

Full ticket sale schedule:

  • May 20, 7 PM - RuPay priority access: Qualifier 1 (Dharamshala, May 26) and Eliminator (New Chandigarh, May 27)
  • May 21, 8 PM - General sale: Qualifier 1 and Eliminator
  • May 22, 7 PM - RuPay priority access: Qualifier 2 (New Chandigarh, May 29) and Final (Ahmedabad, May 31)
  • May 23, 8 PM - General sale: Qualifier 2 and Final

The IPL 2026 playoff venues and what each fixture means

IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on May 26 is the match the top two teams in the table will contest, the winner goes directly to the final, the loser gets a second chance in Qualifier 2.

The IPL 2026 Eliminator follows the next evening at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on May 27, where third meets fourth in a straight knockout, lose and the season is over. Qualifier 2 on May 29, also in New Chandigarh, brings the Qualifier 1 loser and the Eliminator winner together for the second final berth.

And the IPL 2026 Final on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world's largest cricket ground, hosting the IPL title match for the fourth time in five years, closes the season.

Also READ: Why did BCCI shift IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad?

Who has qualified and who is still fighting for IPL 2026 playoffs spot

1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru - QUALIFIED (18 points, NRR +1.065) RCB are not just through - they have effectively secured a top-two finish. After beating Punjab Kings on Sunday, their NRR advantage over all remaining contenders makes it near impossible for anyone to displace them from the top two regardless of what happens in the final round of matches. One game left against SRH.

2. Gujarat Titans - one win from through (16 points, NRR +0.400) GT can confirm their playoff spot with a win over CSK in their final home game. A top-two finish alongside RCB depends on SRH's results, if SRH win both remaining games, NRR will decide which of the two teams finishes second.

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad - one win from through (14 points, NRR +0.331) A win against CSK on Monday seals qualification and simultaneously confirms GT's spot, leaving only one playoff berth remaining. Two wins from two would put SRH in genuine top-two contention. Two defeats could eliminate them entirely as CSK, RR, and others close in.

4. Rajasthan Royals - need two wins and help (12 points, NRR +0.027) Six defeats from their last eight games have turned what looked like a comfortable qualification into a genuine fight. Two wins from two remaining games, against LSG and MI, both eliminated, takes them to 16, but they could still be in a four-way fight for three spots depending on other results. If CSK lose to SRH, 16 points guarantees them through.

5. Chennai Super Kings - need two wins and help (12 points, NRR +0.027) Level with RR on both points and NRR, CSK face an uphill battle. Two wins takes them to 16 but they could still be on the outside looking in depending on results. Their best scenario involves beating GT in the final game — which would simultaneously eliminate GT — and hoping RR, PBKS, and KKR all fall short.

6. Kolkata Knight Riders - need two wins and significant help (11 points, NRR -0.038) KKR's path requires winning both remaining games against MI and DC, and then hoping no more than one of SRH, RR, and CSK reaches 16 points. It is possible but requires a specific combination of outcomes across multiple matches. A loss to DC would end their campaign entirely.

7. Punjab Kings - need win and significant help (13 points, NRR +0.227) PBKS have faded dramatically from their early-season dominance and now need to beat LSG while hoping CSK, RR, DC, and KKR all lose their respective matches. Thirteen points could theoretically still be enough if every result falls their way, but the word theoretically is doing considerable heavy lifting in that sentence.

8. Delhi Capitals - mathematical long shot (12 points, NRR -0.871) DC's net run rate of minus 0.871 is so poor that winning their final game against KKR gets them to 14 points but makes an NRR-based qualification essentially impossible. Their only realistic path is reaching 14 and hoping PBKS, CSK, and RR all lose, making it a straight points battle without NRR coming into play.