Key points
- The top four teams after the 30 league matches reach the playoffs.
- First and second play Qualifier 1, and the winner goes straight to the final. Third and fourth play the Eliminator, and the loser is out.
- The loser of Qualifier 1 gets a second chance against the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2.
- Three of the four champions so far finished top of the league. The 2026 final is on Sunday 20 December in Dubai.
The ILT20 playoffs decide the title after the league stage. The top four teams in the ILT20 points table qualify, and four matches, Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final, decide the champions. It is the same system the IPL uses, and it has not changed since the first season in 2023, apart from one switch of order in 2024. Facts last checked on 4 October 2026.
The ILT20 playoff format
| Match | Who plays | Winner | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | 1st v 2nd | Goes to the final | Plays Qualifier 2 |
| Eliminator | 3rd v 4th | Plays Qualifier 2 | Out |
| Qualifier 2 | Loser of Qualifier 1 v winner of the Eliminator | Goes to the final | Out |
| Final | Winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 | Champions | Runners-up |
With the 30 league matches, that makes 34 matches in a season. There are no semi-finals: the two qualifiers and the Eliminator do that job. The top two get two chances to reach the final, while third and fourth must win twice just to get there.
How teams qualify for the playoffs
Each team plays the other five twice, so 10 matches each. A win is worth two points and a no result one point each. A tied match goes to a Super Over, and the winner takes the full two points. Teams level on points are separated by net run rate, which has split teams level on points in three of the four seasons, including first and second place in 2024. The league has not published any further tie-breakers.
During the season, the live ILT20 points table shows who is in the top four.
Why finishing in the top two matters
The top two have a safety net. A team that loses Qualifier 1 still plays Qualifier 2, while the Eliminator is the end for the team that loses it. The record so far shows how much that helps:
- Three of the four champions finished first in the league: Gulf Giants in 2023, MI Emirates in 2024 and Desert Vipers in 2025-26. Dubai Capitals, the 2025 champions, finished second.
- No team has won the title from third or fourth. Dubai Capitals reached the 2024 final from fourth place but lost it.
- The loser of Qualifier 1 has come back through Qualifier 2 to reach the final three times, and Gulf Giants won the 2023 title that way.
A worked example: the 2025-26 playoffs
This is how the playoffs went in Season 4, when the top of the league table finished like this:
| Place | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st |  Desert Vipers | 16 |
| 2nd |  MI Emirates | 14 |
| 3rd |  Dubai Capitals | 10 |
| 4th |  Abu Dhabi Knight RidersAbu Dhabi KR | 8 |
- Qualifier 1, 30 December 2025, Abu Dhabi: Desert Vipers (1st) beat MI Emirates (2nd) by 45 runs. The Vipers went straight to the final, and MI Emirates dropped into Qualifier 2.
- Eliminator, 1 January 2026, Dubai: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (4th) beat Dubai Capitals (3rd) by 50 runs, so Dubai Capitals were out.
- Qualifier 2, 2 January 2026, Sharjah: MI Emirates beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets to take the second place in the final.
- Final, 4 January 2026, Dubai: Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs to win their first title.
MI Emirates lost Qualifier 1 and still reached the final, which is exactly the second chance the top two are playing for.
ILT20 Qualifier 1: every result
Qualifier 1 is played between the teams that finish first and second. The winner goes straight to the final, and the loser plays Qualifier 2. League places are in brackets.
| Season | Date and venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Wed 8 Feb 2023, Dubai | Desert Vipers (2nd) beat Gulf Giants (1st) by 19 runs |
| 2024 | Wed 14 Feb 2024, Dubai | MI Emirates (1st) beat Gulf Giants (2nd) by 45 runs |
| 2025 | Wed 5 Feb 2025, Dubai | Dubai Capitals (2nd) beat Desert Vipers (1st) by 5 wickets |
| 2025-26 | Tue 30 Dec 2025, Abu Dhabi | Desert Vipers (1st) beat MI Emirates (2nd) by 45 runs |
Dubai means Dubai International Stadium, Abu Dhabi the Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The highest total in an ILT20 playoff came in the 2025-26 Qualifier 1, when Desert Vipers made 233 for 1 and Andries Gous scored 120 not out off 58 balls.
ILT20 Eliminator: every result
The Eliminator is played between third and fourth. The loser is out, and the winner plays Qualifier 2. There is only one Eliminator each season, so “Eliminator 1” and “Eliminator 2” are not ILT20 terms.
| Season | Date and venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Thu 9 Feb 2023, Sharjah | MI Emirates (3rd) beat Dubai Capitals (4th) by 8 wickets |
| 2024 | Tue 13 Feb 2024, Abu Dhabi | Dubai Capitals (4th) beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (3rd) by 85 runs |
| 2025 | Thu 6 Feb 2025, Abu Dhabi | Sharjah Warriorz (4th) beat MI Emirates (3rd) by 6 wickets |
| 2025-26 | Thu 1 Jan 2026, Dubai | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (4th) beat Dubai Capitals (3rd) by 50 runs |
In 2024 the schedule was changed late, and the Eliminator was played the day before Qualifier 1. Dubai Capitals’ 85-run win that day is the biggest winning margin in runs in an ILT20 playoff, and they went on to reach the final from fourth place.
ILT20 Qualifier 2: every result
Qualifier 2 is played between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator. The winner takes the second place in the final.
| Season | Date and venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Fri 10 Feb 2023, Dubai | Gulf Giants beat MI Emirates by 4 wickets |
| 2024 | Thu 15 Feb 2024, Sharjah | Dubai Capitals beat Gulf Giants by 9 wickets |
| 2025 | Fri 7 Feb 2025, Sharjah | Desert Vipers beat Sharjah Warriorz by 7 wickets |
| 2025-26 | Fri 2 Jan 2026, Sharjah | MI Emirates beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 7 wickets |
The ILT20 final
The winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 meet in the final, and every final so far has been at Dubai International Stadium. Three of the four finals were rematches of Qualifier 1, and the Qualifier 1 winner has taken the title three times out of four.
| Season | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sun 12 Feb 2023 | Gulf Giants beat Desert Vipers by 7 wickets |
| 2024 | Sat 17 Feb 2024 | MI Emirates beat Dubai Capitals by 45 runs |
| 2025 | Sun 9 Feb 2025 | Dubai Capitals beat Desert Vipers by 4 wickets |
| 2025-26 | Sun 4 Jan 2026 | Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates by 46 runs |
Our ILT20 winners list has every final in full, with the players of the match and the prize money.
Where the playoff teams finished in the league
| Season | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Champions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gulf Giants (16) | Desert Vipers (14) | MI Emirates (11) | Dubai Capitals (9) | Gulf Giants (1st) |
| 2024 | MI Emirates (12) | Gulf Giants (12) | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (10) | Dubai Capitals (10) | MI Emirates (1st) |
| 2025 | Desert Vipers (14) | Dubai Capitals (12) | MI Emirates (10) | Sharjah Warriorz (10) | Dubai Capitals (2nd) |
| 2025-26 | Desert Vipers (16) | MI Emirates (14) | Dubai Capitals (10) | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (8) | Desert Vipers (1st) |
Points are in brackets; the odd totals in 2023 come from three matches lost to rain. MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals have reached the playoffs in all four seasons, Desert Vipers three times, Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders twice and Sharjah Warriorz once. The 2025-26 final standings have the full table.
What if a playoff match is tied or rained off?
Tied ILT20 matches are decided by a Super Over. The first came on 8 December 2025, when Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants after both teams made 179, and no playoff match has been tied.
The league has not published what happens if a playoff match is washed out, or whether the final has a reserve day, and no playoff match has been lost to rain so far. Some leagues send the higher-placed team through after a washout, but the ILT20 has not said that it does. We will add the rule if it is published for 2026.
ILT20 2026 playoff dates and venues
Season 5 runs from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. The final is on Sunday 20 December at Dubai International Stadium, where every ILT20 final has been played. The dates and venues of Qualifier 1, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 have not been announced yet, so treat any dates you see elsewhere with care. The ILT20 2026 schedule will list them as soon as they are confirmed.
ILT20 playoffs: questions
How many teams qualify for the ILT20 playoffs?
Four: the top four in the league table after the 30 league matches.
What is Qualifier 1 in ILT20?
The playoff between the teams that finish first and second. The winner goes to the final, and the loser plays Qualifier 2.
What is the ILT20 Eliminator?
The playoff between third and fourth. The loser is out, and the winner plays Qualifier 2.
Who plays in ILT20 Qualifier 2?
The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator. The winner goes to the final.
Is there a semi-final in ILT20?
No. Qualifier 1, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 take the place of semi-finals.
What happens if ILT20 teams finish level on points?
Net run rate decides their places. The league has not published any further tie-breakers.
Have MI Emirates always made the ILT20 playoffs?
Yes. MI Emirates have reached the playoffs in all four seasons, and so have Dubai Capitals. The live points table will show whether they qualify in 2026.
When is the ILT20 2026 final?
Sunday 20 December 2026, at Dubai International Stadium.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo 2025 guide, ESPNcricinfo 2025-26 guide, Khaleej Times on the 2025-26 playoffs, Cricbuzz 2023 results, Cricbuzz 2024 results, Cricbuzz 2025 results, Cricbuzz 2025-26 results, ESPNcricinfo on the 2024 playoff schedule, Wisden on the 2025-26 Eliminator, Daily Pioneer on the first Super Over, CricTracker on the first Super Over, Gulf News on the Season 5 dates.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@internationaleaguet20.com and we will correct it, noting the change at the top of the article.
