IPL 2024 playoffs: Schedule, timing, reserve day details

Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the four teams that will fight for the coveted Indian Premier League trophy this season. After an intense league phase, the four teams get to the most important phase of the tournament, where a slip can be demoralising and potentially end the teams’ chances of winning the trophy.

Kolkata Knight Riders were the first team to book a play-off spot, while Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad followed suit. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are having a dream run in the ongoing league, thumped defending champions Chennai Super Kings to claim the last spot.

The teams will have a day’s rest before getting back to action. KKR and SRH will have two chances of making it to the final as an incentive for finishing in the top two at the end of the league phase. KKR and SRH will slug it out in Qualifier 1 on May 21 in Ahmedabad, with the winner progressing to the final.

RR will meet RCB in the Eliminator on May 22 in Ahmedabad, with the loser getting knocked out of the tournament while the winner will advance further into the tournament.

The winner of the Eliminator and the loser of Qualifier 1 will meet in Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The winner of Qualifier 2 will meet the winner of Qualifier 1 on May 26 in Chennai to decide the winner of the IPL 2024.

The IPL 2024 playoffs will have reserve days for all four playoff matches. The playing conditions also state that the playoffs will have an extra 120 minutes (2 hours) so that in case of a weather interruption, the match can be tried and finished on the same day. In the event that no further play is possible on the original playoff date, the match resumes on the reserve day, which is the next day.

If there is no play possible on the reserve day too, the winner is decided on the basis of their league standings.

If the matches are tied, a Super Over will decide the winner. If the conditions do not support a Super Over, the team that, at the end of the league phase, finished in the higher position in the league table will be the winner of the relevant play-off match.

All playoff matches start at 1930 hrs (IST).

Schedule:

May 21: Qualifier 1 - KKR vs SRH

May 22: Eliminator - RR vs RCB

May 24: Qualifier 2 - Loser Qualifier 1 vs winner of Eliminator

May 26: Final - Winner of Qualifier 1 vs winner of Qualifier 2