Final shifted from Bengaluru to Narendra Modi Stadium:Playoffs start in Dharamshala on 26 May, 2 knockout games in Mullanpur

Amid the IPL season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the dates for IPL 2026 playoffs on 6 May. Earlier, the BCCI had announced the schedule for the group stage of IPL 2026, which is set to end on 24 May with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Delhi Capitals (Delhi Capitals) match at the Eden Gardens. The IPL 2026 playoffs will comprise Qualifier 1, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, followed by the final. The final has been shifted from Bengaluru to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala, final at Narendra Modi Stadium on 31 May As per the official schedule, Qualifier 1 will be played at the iconic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharamshala on 26 May. Mullanpur, home to the Punjab Kings, will host the Eliminator (27 May) and the Qualifier 2 (May 29). The final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 31 May. The teams which finish in the top two spots will have two opportunities at making the final. The top two teams will battle each other in Qualifier 1 and the winner will qualify for the final. The loser of Qualifier 1 will take on the winner of the Eliminator (played between third and fourth placed teams) for a second shot at the summit clash. Why was IPL 2026 final shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad? Traditionally, the IPL final is played on the home ground of the defending champions and in this case, it should have been Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which was supposed to host the summit clash. The BCCI, in its statement, offered an explanation for shifting the final out of Bengaluru. “Bengaluru was originally designated to host the Final. However, owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols, the venue has been shifted and reassigned,” a part of BCCI’s official statement read. Thus, Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket ground, will host the IPL final for a second consecutive year, despite the home team Gujarat Titans, not winning the title in the last two years. Last year, the final, which was supposed to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, was moved to Ahmedabad citing rain threat. Which teams are likely to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs? As of now, no team has been mathematically ruled out of contention for a spot in the playoffs. Punjab Kings (PBKS) hold the top spot on the IPL 2026 points table, followed by defending champions RCB in second place. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are in third spot, followed by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in fourth. CSK (Chennai Super Kings) and Mumbai Indians (MI) are the most successful teams in IPL history, winning five titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are second on that list with three trophies to their name. RCB, SRH, GT and RR have won the IPL once each. Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are the only teams yet to win the IPL. MLA ticket issue forced IPL 2026 final out of Bengaluru A day ago, a report had surfaced which stated that the final could be moved out of Bengaluru owing to the MLA ticket controversy, in which several Karnataka MLAs sought tickets for IPL matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Before the start of the season, Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar had demanded mininum five IPL tickets for the MLAs, claiming that they were VIPs and should not have to wait in queues. He also said that the MLAs should be provided with a separate seating arrangement. Later, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had said that three tickets would be given to the MLAs. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had said that these tickets would be ‘non-transferable’, meaning that apart from the MLAs and their family, no one else could use these tickets. A BCCI source, a day ago, had stated that this issue was ‘creating problems’ in Bengaluru. “IPL 2026 playoffs and final venue will be announced soon. Matches likely to be divided into Punjab and Karnataka, the last time winner should host the final, but MLA ticket issue is creating problems in Bengaluru, and if there is no solution, then BCCI will move the final to another city,” the source had said to ANI.