IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule Released: Eliminator and Qualifier 2 to be Held Across Three Venues

On Wednesday (May 6), the BCCI confirmed the schedule for the IPL 2026 playoffs . Find the full list here. An official statement was posted on the IPL website and across social media on the morning of May 6. "Owing to certain operational and logistical considerations, the TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs will be conducted across three venues this season as a special case," the statement read. The Eliminator and Qualifier 2 are usually held at the same venue. Those three venues are the , the and the . Dharamshala and Mullanpur serve as home venues for the Punjab Kings, losing finalists in IPL 2025. Traditionally, the IPL final is hosted by the home venue of the previous year's IPL winner. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL in 2025, but their title celebrations were marred by a stampede at their home venue of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after the final. The venue later received clearance to host five IPL games this season, but will not host the final. "Bengaluru was originally designated to host the Final," said the BCCI. "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." Before this season began, the Bengaluru venue was also the centre of a storm when Members of the Karnataka state Legislative Assembly demanded five free IPL tickets each , citing their status of VIPs. Local press has speculated that this could be the reason for Bengaluru losing out on the final. .