The stage is set for IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. Rajasthan Royals (RR), who will enter the match with high confidence, following a 47-run win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad, will take on the Qualifier 1 loser team, the Gujarat Titans.
Gujarat Titans, who ended the league stage with 18 points from 9 wins, faced a 92-run defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they crumbled in front of the RCB’s bowlers.
How many times Eliminator winner qualified for the IPL finals
The instances of an Eliminator winner qualifying for the final have been very rare. The feat has been achieved by the Chennai Super Kings in 2012, Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, while the Kolkata Knight Riders qualified for the final after playing the Eliminator in 2021.
1. Chennai Super Kings – IPL 2012
Chennai Super Kings reached the 2012 final after playing an Eliminator match. CSK faced the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2012 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Coming to bat first, CSK posted a total of 187/5 in their 20 overs and won by 38 runs as MI managed to score only 149 runs. CSK went onto win Qualifier 2 against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by 86 runs. However, CSK’s winning streak ended in the final as the Kolkata Knight Riders won by five wickets to clinch their maiden IPL title.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad – IPL 2016
David Warner-led the Sunrisers Hyderabad faced the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2016 Eliminator clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. SRH posted a modest total of 162 in their 20 overs. Yuvraj Singh was the top run-scorer as he scored 44 off 30 balls at a strike rate of 146.66. Meanwhile, KKR’s batting collapsed and they managed to score just 140 runs in 20 overs. SRH won the match with 22 runs and entered the IPL 2016 final. SRH went on to win their maiden IPL title that season by defeating RCB.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2021
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Eoin Morgan, who was leading the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021, also features in the list. KKR faced the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2021 Eliminator in Delhi and won the match by 22 runs. They later reached the final after defeating the Delhi Capitals in the Qualifier 2 clash. However, their winning run ended in the final as the Chennai Super Kings won by 21 runs to clinch their 4th IPL title.
Also Read: GT vs RR Qualifier 2: Which Team Has Better Record In IPL 2026?
