The IPL 2024 group stages recently concluded with all teams having played 14 games each. Four teams have qualified for the playoffs of the tournament that will conclude the winner of the tournament, starting Tuesday, May 21.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the teams that have qualified for the play off rounds.
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KKR and SRH will face each other in Qualifier 1 having finished first and second respectively in the points table, while RR and RCB will take each other on in the Eliminator, having finished third and fourth respectively.
The first two games of the playoffs are scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad while the last two games including the final will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
With the stage set to determine the 2024 IPL champions, The Sporting News looks at what the Qualifiers and the Eliminators mean ahead of the scheduled games.
What is Qualifier 1?
Teams that have finished in the Top 2 in the points table, face each other in Qualifiers 1. The winner of the clash gets a direct entry into the final while the losing team gets a second shot to enter the final by playing Qualifier 2.
This year’s Qualifier 1 is between KKR and SRH.
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What is Eliminator?
Teams that finish at the third and fourth position in the IPL points table play the Eliminator in the playoffs. The winner of the Eliminator game qualifies for Qualifier 2 while the losing team is knocked out of the competition. This year’s Eliminator is set to be played between RR and RCB.
What is Qualifier 2?
The losing team from Qualifier 1 and the winning team from Eliminator face each other in Qualifier 2 to determine the second finalists of the tournament. SRH and RR will play Qualifier 2 in this year’s IPL.
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What is Final?
The winner of Qualifier 1 and the winner of Qualifier 2 face each other in the final of the tournament to determine the champions. The final is set to be played at the MA Chidambaram stadium on 26th May, Sunday.
The 2023 IPL final was played between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) with the men in yellow lifitng their fifth IPL trophy in a thrilling game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Schedule for the IPL 2024 Playoffs
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| KKR vs SRH (Qualifier 1) | May 21 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| RR vs RCB (Eliminator) | May 22 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| SRH vs RR (Qualifier 2) | May 24 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Final | May 26 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |