Bengaluru and Titans go head-to-head in the first play-off match on Tuesday Last updated: May 25, 2026 | 14:403 MIN READShubman Gill and Virat Kohli will star in the first match of the IPL 2026 play-offs AFPDubai: The Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs get underway on Tuesday May 26 with a major showdown as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) kick-off the knockout stage in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.This opening clash immediately sets the tone for the business end of the tournament where every decision, over, and wicket can decide the fate of a season.The significance of this match is clear from the outset, with the winner being booked a direct place in the IPL 2026 final while the losing side will still have a second opportunity through Qualifier 2. Here they will face the winner of the ‘Eliminator’ for another shot at reaching the title match.RCB and GT both finished the league stage on 18 points, highlighting just how closely matched they have been throughout the season.Bengaluru topped the table thanks to a superior net run rate of 0.783 compared to Titans who finished on 0.695.Sunrisers Hyderabad also ended with 18 points but a lower net run rate of 0.524, which placed them in third and sent them into the Eliminator against fourth placed Rajasthan Royals.How the play-offs work?