Eliminator, Thursday, 17 December 2026 — Evening session in Dubai
The Eliminator is played at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday 17 December 2026, in the evening session. Seed 3 meets Seed 4, and the loser’s season ends on the night. The winner stays alive and meets the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah, for a place in the final.
The two teams are not known yet. The league stage ends with Match 30 on Monday 14 December, and the seeds are decided by the points table after that match. Qualifier 1 is played the day before this match, on Wednesday 16 December in Abu Dhabi, between Seed 1 and Seed 2. Tuesday 15 December is a rest day, separating the league stage from the playoffs. Once the Eliminator is played, the scorecard will appear on this page.
This is the only playoff match with no second chance. The ILT20 Season 5 Eliminator is a straight knockout: win and play again tomorrow, lose and go home.
How the playoffs work
The playoffs are four matches long: Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final. The top four from the league stage qualify, seeded one to four by the table after 30 matches. Which team holds which seed is not known yet — the league stage ends with Match 30 on Monday 14 December.
Seed 1 plays Seed 2 in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday 16 December in Abu Dhabi, and the winner goes directly to the final on Sunday 20 December. The loser gets another game, in Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah. Seed 3 plays Seed 4 in the Eliminator, on Thursday 17 December in Dubai, and there the loser goes home. The Eliminator winner then meets the Qualifier 1 loser in Qualifier 2, with the second final place at stake.
The playoff week has two rest days: Tuesday 15 December, between the league stage and the playoffs, and Saturday 19 December, between Qualifier 2 and the final. All four playoff matches are evening-session games, and their exact start times are still to be announced.
The final berth, and what losing costs
The stakes in the Eliminator are the starkest of any playoff match. The winner goes to Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah, where they meet the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second place in the final. The loser is eliminated — there is no second chance, no other route, and no further match. For the third and fourth seeds, the entire season comes down to one evening in Dubai.
The winner’s road is still the longest in the tournament. They must win the Eliminator, then win Qualifier 2 the next day, then beat the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final on Sunday 20 December. That is three wins in four days to lift the title. The reward for that run is a place in the final against a side that has had four days to prepare — so the Eliminator winner will need to carry their momentum straight through the week.
The final is played at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday 20 December, after a rest day on Saturday 19 December. Desert Vipers are the defending champions, having beaten MI Emirates by 46 runs in the January final; before them, Dubai Capitals won in 2025, MI Emirates in 2024 and Gulf Giants in the first season of 2023.
The road to the final
The top two seeds have the easiest route to the title. Seed 1 and Seed 2 meet in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday 16 December in Abu Dhabi; the winner goes straight to the final in Dubai on Sunday 20 December, and the loser gets a second chance in Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah.
The bottom two seeds have no such cushion. Seed 3 and Seed 4 meet in this match, the Eliminator, on Thursday 17 December in Dubai, and the loser’s season ends. The winner must win again in Qualifier 2 on Friday, against the loser of Qualifier 1, and then win the final on Sunday against the winner of Qualifier 1 — three wins in four days, with a defeat at any stage ending the run.
Which teams take which road is not known yet. The seeds come from the league table after Match 30 on Monday 14 December, and this page will name the teams once the table is final.
No head-to-head yet — the teams are not decided
No head-to-head exists for this match yet — the two teams have not been decided. The league stage ends with Match 30 on Monday 14 December, and the seeds come from the table after that match. When the third and fourth seeds are known, this page will name them and add their past meetings.
Match information
| Ground | Dubai International Stadium, Dubai |
| Series | ILT20 |
| Season | 2026-27, Season 5 |
| Match number | Match 32 |
| Match Days | Thursday, 17 December 2026 |
| Points | Winner 2, loser 0 |
Evening session — no exact start time has been announced yet. Match yet to begin — the scorecard will appear here after the match.
Season 5
Scorecard
Match yet to begin. The scorecard appears here once the match starts.
Season 5
Live
Match yet to begin
Teams to be decided —
Thursday, 17 December 2026 — Evening session in Dubai.
Current batters
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Current bowlers
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Recent overs
Live updates appear here once the match starts.
No ball-by-ball commentary on this page — the full scorecard appears here after the match.
Season 5
Frequently asked questions
When is the Eliminator played?
The Eliminator is played in the evening session on Thursday 17 December 2026 at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai. It is the second playoff match of ILT20 Season 5, played the day after Qualifier 1. No start time has been confirmed yet.
Who plays in the Eliminator?
Seed 3 plays Seed 4 — the third and fourth teams from the league stage. The seeds come from the table after Match 30, the last league match, on Monday 14 December, and this page will name the two teams once that table is final.
What happens to the loser of the Eliminator?
They are eliminated — their season ends. The winner goes to Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah, where they meet the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second place in the final on Sunday 20 December.
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