The IPL 2026 playoff line-up is finally locked. Rajasthan Royals' 30-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday sealed the fourth and final qualification spot, ending the hopes of Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. RR joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the top four after a tense final day of league-stage action. RCB and GT will now meet in Qualifier 1, while SRH and RR will face off in the Eliminator. After nearly 70 league matches, the tournament now moves into its sharpest phase, where one bad night can end a season and one brilliant spell can send a team to the final. Full IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule 1. Qualifier 1: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Date: May 26, Tuesday Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala Time: 7:30 PM IST 2. Eliminator: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals Date: May 27, Wednesday Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh Time: 7:30 PM IST 3. Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator Date: May 29, Friday Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh Time: 7:30 PM IST 4. Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 Date: May 31, Sunday Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Time: 7:30 PM IST RCB finished on top of the points table and will take on second-placed Gujarat Titans in Qualifier1. The winner of this match will directly enter the final in Ahmedabad. The loser will still get another chance in Qualifier 2. SRH, who finished third, will face fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. This is a straight knockout. The loser goes home, while the winner moves into Qualifier 2 to face the loser of RCB vs GT. How Rajasthan Royals sealed the Final IPL 2026 Playoff spot Rajasthan went into their last league match knowing exactly what they needed: beat Mumbai Indians and qualify. They did just that, defeating MI by 30 runs at Wankhede. The result took RR to 16 points and ended Punjab Kings’ campaign at 15 points. Punjab had kept themselves alive by beating Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, powered by Shreyas Iyer’s maiden IPL hundred, but they needed Mumbai to beat Rajasthan. That result did not arrive. KKR were also knocked out before their final league match against Delhi Capitals could carry any meaning. Had Rajasthan lost, KKR would have had a chance, though they needed a massive Net Run Rate swing. RR’s win made all calculations irrelevant. In the match itself, Rajasthan posted 205/8 on a sluggish Wankhede surface. Jofra Archer played a key all-round role, striking a crucial late cameo before taking 3/17 with the ball. Mumbai’s chase had moments through Suryakumar Yadav, Will Jacks and Hardik Pandya, but RR stayed ahead and closed the game well. What the IPL 2026 Playoffs venues bring Dharamshala will host Qualifier 1 between RCB and GT. The HPCA Stadium’s altitude, breeze and new-ball movement could make this a fascinating contest between two of the most complete teams of the season. New Chandigarh will host both the Eliminator and Qualifier 2. The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium now gets two huge knockout matches, including the SRH vs RR clash that already looks like a high-scoring thriller. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma against Rajasthan's Jaiswal-Sooryavanshi top order should be box-office. Ahmedabad will host the final on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The second finalist will have only a short turnaround after Qualifier 2 before travelling to Ahmedabad for the title clash. IPL 2026 Playoff format explained Top two teams get a cushion. RCB and GT will play Qualifier 1, and the winner goes straight to the final. The loser does not get eliminated and will play Qualifier 2. Third and fourth teams get no such safety net. SRH and RR meet in the Eliminator, where the losing team exits immediately. The winner then plays Qualifier 2 against the loser of Qualifier 1. Qualifier 2 decides the second finalist. The winner of Qualifier 2 will face the winner of Qualifier 1 in the IPL 2026 final. League stage is over. The top four are set. Now it is RCB, GT, SRH and RR fighting for the trophy. Also READ: IPL 2026 Playoffs Ticket booking starts May 20; Full online booking details inside