Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has made it clear that they will be taking the decision regarding the dates and venues for the playoffs of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 in not more than a couple of days. However, he also hinted that there is no guarantee of Bengaluru or New Chandigarh hosting the IPL playoffs.
While it has been a norm that the home venues of the finalists from the last IPL season usually host the playoffs, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh should host the IPL playoffs 2026, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings played the final of the eighteenth edition. Saikia has asked the public to keep guessing, though, and wait for an official update.
“We are working on what could be the appropriate venue for the IPL playoffs and the final. So, we will take another two days’ time,” Saikia told reporters on Saturday, May 02, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“You can keep guessing, but I am not going to give you a reply. We will take a call in two days’ time,” Saikia added when asked if Bengaluru and New Chandigarh will be the potential venues to host the playoffs.
For the unversed, the playoffs for IPL 2026 will include four matches – two Qualifiers, one Eliminator, and a Final. The winner of the final match will get the bragging rights for the trophy, which is currently held by RCB as the defending champions. Notably, the playoff matches will be held right after the conclusion of the 70 league-stage encounters.
As of May 02, 44 matches have been completed in the nineteenth edition of the cash-rich tournament, with Chennai Super Kings defeating Mumbai Indians in the latest encounter, thereby denting the qualification scenario for the latter. PBKS currently sit atop the leaderboard with seven wins and one loss after nine matches.
RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Titans are the next three teams on the table with twelve points each. Lucknow Super Giants and MI are the bottom-dwellers with a couple of wins each after eight and nine games, respectively.
