The Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to announce the venues for the IPL 2026 playoffs within the next two days. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made the confirmation on Saturday, May 2, while speaking to reporters outside the BCCI headquarters. He did not, however, say which cities are in the running, and left the fans and the media guessing.
With the group stage of IPL 2026 drawing closer to its end on May 24, there is growing urgency around the playoff logistics. The four playoff matches — Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final — are all set to be played between May 24 and May 31. The BCCI has already confirmed that the final will take place on May 31, but the venues for all four matches are still to be publicly declared.
BCCI Secretary Stays Tight-Lipped on Venue Names
When Saikia was pressed by reporters to be clear, whether Bengaluru and New Chandigarh were the front-runners, he said, “You can keep guessing, but I am not going to give you a reply. We will take a call in two days’ time.”
Saikia mentioned that the board is in the process of deciding on the most appropriate venues to hold the playoff matches, and an announcement will be made within two days.
The BCCI rule is that the two finalists of the last edition of the tournament are granted the hosting rights of the playoff matches for the following year. According to this, the natural ones would be Bengaluru and New Chandigarh, the home grounds of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, respectively.
What the IPL 2026 Playoff Schedule Could Look Like
In all likelihood, Qualifier 1 is set to be played on May 26, and the Eliminator will follow the next day. Qualifier 2 is expected to go ahead on May 29, with the final on May 31.
This gives the BCCI a narrow window to get everything confirmed — venues, logistics, ticketing, and broadcasting arrangements. The tight turnaround between the group stage ending on May 24 and the first playoff on May 26 leaves little room for delays in the announcement.
Last year’s playoffs saw a last-minute change of venue. The IPL 2025 playoffs were set to be played in Kolkata and Hyderabad, but the venues were changed at the last minute due to logistical and weather-related factors. Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator were eventually played in Mullanpur, while Qualifier 2 and the final were held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That precedent has added to the speculation around whether the same could happen again in 2026.
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Impact Player Rule Also Under Review After IPL 2026
Along with the venue discussion, Saikia mentioned the current discussion regarding the Impact Player rule. The BCCI has already made an announcement that the rule will still be in existence until 2027 before it is reviewed.
Saikia said no team in the IPL has officially asked to review the rule partway through the tournament, and that any such review would only occur once the tournament is over. He further added that the competition has been balanced with both high-scoring and low-scoring matches taking place this season, and therefore does not give the impression that the rule has distorted results in a one-sided manner.
BCCI is expected to announce the location of the playoffs early next week. So far, Bengaluru and New Chandigarh are the most discussed possible solutions, but nothing is finalized.
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