Rajasthan Royals (RR) became the fourth team to qualify for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after beating Mumbai Indians (MI) in their final league stage game of the season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (May 24). The Riyan Parag-led team finished the season with 16 points in 14 games, which means they topped Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to secure the final spot and joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Gujarat Titans (GT), and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
RCB, GT, and SRH finished with 18 points each, but the defending champions took the top spot after having the best Net Run Rate (NRR). Meanwhile, the Titans finished second, while the Hyderabad-based side narrowly missed out on the elusive top two spot.
IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Day | Time | Venue |
| Qualifier 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans | 26th May, 2026 | Tuesday | 7:30 PM IST | Dharamshala |
| Eliminator | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals | 27th May 2026 | Wednesday | 7:30 PM IST | New Chandigarh |
| Qualifier 2 | Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator | 29th May 2026 | Friday | 7:30 PM IST | New Chandigarh |
| Final | Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 | 31st May 2026 | Sunday | 7:30 PM IST | Ahmedabad |
Second IPL Trophy On Cards
Royals’ qualification confirms that there will be a second-time winner this year when the final takes place on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Each of the four teams that have qualified for the playoffs has lifted the trophy once. RCB won their maiden title last year and are looking to become the third team to defend the trophy after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, the Titans had lifted the trophy in 2022 under Hardik Pandya’s leadership.
SRH won the title in 2016 after beating RCB in the final, while the Royals won the tournament in the inaugural edition in 2008.