The BCCI have made provision to extend play by 2 hours if IPL 2026 Playoffs matches on Tuesday and Wednesday at Dharamshala and New Chandigarh are hit by rain.
Published: May 25, 2026 5:21 PM IST
RCB vs GT IPL 2026: The IPL 2026 Playoffs stages will get underway with a clash between table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday. It will be followed by Eliminator match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Wednesday – the third and fourth placed teams on the Points Table.
The question on every cricket fan’s mind is what will happen if the Playoffs matches are washed out due to rain. There is always threat of rain in the hilltown of Dharamshala where Qualifier 1 is set to take place with a spot in Sunday’s final on offer for the winners.
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But if the match is affected by rain on Tuesday night, has the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) kept any provision for Reserve Day for the Playoffs in IPL 2026 season? The BCCI had no provision for Playoffs in the 70 league stage matches which came to an end on Sunday.
IPL 2026 Playing Conditions don’t make any mention for provision for Reserve Days for Playoffs matches apart from the final. According to Rule Number 13.7.3 of the playing conditions, the BCCI mention that Reserve Day can be provided but the final decision to provide the same will be decided by the Board later.
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However, there is a major difference in Rain Rules when it comes to Playoffs stage matches. In the league matches, BCCI had a provision to extend play by an hour, in case the match was affected by rain.
Both teams need to complete a minimum of 5 overs each for it to constitute a match in a T20 contest. To complete a minimum of 5-overs-a-side match, the BCCI allowed for extension of play by maximum of 60 minutes for a league match.
What is deadline to start a match in Playoffs?
But in case of Playoffs matches, which begin on Tuesday, the game can be extended by 120 minutes to ensure a 5-overs-a-side match can be completed. There is provision for double the time for the teams to finish a match.
It will mean that if a match is hit by rain, play can even start at 1150pm IST to complete a 5-overs-a-side match with an extension of 2 hours provided by BCCI. There will, however, be provision of Reserve Day for IPL 2026 final which will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.
The IPL 2023 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans was completed on the Reserve Day after the match day was washed out due to rain.
