BCCI sets three-city IPL playoff structure

The Board of Control for Cricket in India set a three-city route for the IPL 2026 playoffs in a May 6 schedule announcement, breaking from the tournament’s more familiar two-city postseason layout. The official IPL release said Qualifier 1 will be played in Dharamshala, the Eliminator in New Chandigarh, and both Qualifier 2 and the final in Ahmedabad. The schedule was published before the league stage concluded, with playoff places still being contested as of May 23. Ticket sales for the playoff round began on May 20 through District by Zomato, according to a separate IPL advisory. ### Which cities got the four playoff matches? Dharamshala’s HPCA Stadium will host Qualifier 1 on May 26, the IPL said in its schedule announcement on May 6. That match is reserved for the teams finishing first and second in the league standings, with the winner advancing directly to the final. New Chandigarh’s New International Cricket Stadium will host the Eliminator on May 27, according to the same release. The Eliminator is played between the third- and fourth-placed teams, with the loser knocked out. Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will stage Qualifier 2 on May 29 and the final on June 1, the IPL said. (iplt20.com) Qualifier 2 will decide the second finalist, with the loser of Qualifier 1 facing the winner of the Eliminator. ### How is this different from the usual playoff setup? (iplt20.com) The IPL announcement named three host cities for the four knockout matches rather than concentrating the postseason in two venues. The governing body did not, in the release reviewed, give a detailed explanation for the format change. (iplt20.com) The broader 2026 competition had already been spread across 12 venues after the BCCI announced the second phase of the season on April 13, with matches scheduled from April 13 to May 24. That second-phase venue list included Dharamshala, New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. (iplt20.com) ### What does each playoff match decide? Qualifier 1 on May 26 carries the most direct reward: a place in the final for the winner. The losing side gets a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 29. The Eliminator on May 27 is a straight knockout between the teams finishing third and fourth. (iplt20.com) The winner advances to Qualifier 2, where the final berth is decided. The IPL’s playoff page lists the same progression, describing the route from the top-four finishers to the June 1 championship match in Ahmedabad. (iplt20.com) ### Were the playoff teams already known when the venues were confirmed? May 23 standings scenarios published by the IPL and other cricket outlets showed the playoff race was still unresolved when the venues had long since been announced. (iplt20.com) The IPL said in a qualification scenarios update published last week that eight teams were still in contention at that stage, though later results narrowed the field further. (iplt20.com) Royal Challengers Bengaluru had already secured first place in the standings by May 23 despite a loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, according to current playoff-race reporting cited in the briefing. The remaining positions were still being contested heading into the final league matches. (iplt20.com) ### How are fans supposed to buy tickets? The IPL said on May 18 that playoff tickets would go on sale from May 20, with District by Zomato appointed as the official ticketing agency for the playoff phase. The advisory did not alter the match dates or venues announced earlier in the month. (iplt20.com) May 24 is the last scheduled day of the league stage, according to the BCCI-announced second-phase calendar, and the playoffs begin two days later with Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala. Qualifier 2 follows in Ahmedabad on May 29 before the final there on June 1. (iplt20.com 1) (iplt20.com 2)