The IPL 2026 season got underway on March 28 - two days before Rajasthan Royals began their campaign with a win over Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati.
This is the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League and while the IPL 2026 format is similar to the ones used over the past few seasons, there is a minor tweak.
Here’s a breakdown of the new IPL format and what the Royals need to do to qualify for the playoffs.
IPL 2026 format: League stage
Like previous seasons, the 10 IPL teams - Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad - have been divided into two virtual groups for the IPL 2026 league stage.
The seedings are based on the number of times a team has won the IPL or made the finals.
Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, who have won the IPL five times each, are the top two seeds in the IPL and hence in separate groups.
Kolkata Knight Riders are seeded third while Sunrisers Hyderabad are fourth. Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans take up the next two spots followed by reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
IPL 2026 groups
Group A | Group B |
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Mumbai Indians (MI) |
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) |
Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Gujarat Titans (GT) |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Delhi Capitals (DC) |
Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) |
Each team will play 14 league matches, facing the four other teams in their own group once and the five in the other group twice in a home-away format.
Consequently, in IPL 2026, RR will play CSK, KKR, RCB and PBKS once. The Royals will play MI, SRH, GT, DC and LSG twice each.
The system has changed from the 2025 season, where each team faced the four other teams in their own group and the team in the same row from the other group twice (home and away). They played the remaining four teams from the other group only once.
Cumulatively, all teams will play 70 matches in the IPL 2026 league stage, which ends on May 24. RR’s final league stage engagement will be against MI at the Wankhede on the same day.
The Royals will host LSG at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur for their final home match of the league stage on May 19.
IPL 2026 points system
Teams earn two points for a win in the league stage, while a match abandoned without a result sees both sides share one point each.
In the event of a tie, the outcome is decided by a Super Over.
If two or more teams finish level on points, their positions in the standings are determined by Net Run Rate (NRR), which serves as the primary tie-breaker.
IPL 2026 playoffs format
The top four teams after the league stage will advance to the IPL 2026 playoffs. The format is the same as last year.
Finishing in the top two offers a crucial advantage in the playoffs. The top two sides will face off in Qualifier 1, with the winner securing a direct berth in the final.
The third and fourth-placed teams face off in the Eliminator, with the winner of the match facing the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 for the second spot in the final.
The IPL 2026 playoff dates and venues, including the final, will be announced later.
