Match Winner
1st seed1.80
2nd seed2.15
IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 Prediction — 25 May Eden Gardens
· Toss 7:00 PM · Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The 1st-place vs 2nd-place clash — winner books a direct spot in the final.
Q1 winner odds for the trophy shorten ~25%
Champion3.50
Runner-up5.00
Match Preview
Qualifier 1 carries unique strategic weight: the winner skips the Eliminator route entirely and goes straight to the final, while the loser still gets a second chance via Qualifier 2. Historically Qualifier 1 winners have an above-50% conversion rate to the title — the extra rest day and lower physical load matter in late May.
Eden Gardens plays as a balanced surface this season. Average first-innings 182, spin economy 7.9 rpo, pace economy 8.6 rpo. The pitch tends to slow down by the second innings, which inverts the usual chase advantage and makes batting first the slightly better option here — exactly the opposite pattern to Chinnaswamy. Dew is mild in Kolkata in late May.
Pitch report
- Avg 1st-innings IPL 2026: 182.
- Chasing record last 5 here: Batting-first won 3 of 5.
- Spin in middle overs has been disproportionately effective.
- Dew: light-moderate from over 15.
Key factors
- Travel: Both finalists arrive from late-stage league fixtures with at most 36 hours' rest.
- Spin matchup is decisive at Eden — bench depth in slow bowling matters.
- Toss is less leveraged than at high-scoring venues; ground out the bowling and bat sensibly.
Predicted winner
To be confirmed once finalists are set after final league fixtures. Provisional read: the side with deeper spin attack at Eden Gardens. We will update this page within 30 minutes of the league phase ending.
FAQ — Qualifier 1
There is a reserve day. If both days are washed out, the higher-seeded team progresses by net run rate.
1st-placed vs 2nd-placed teams from the league table. Winner goes directly to the final.
JioCinema (free) and Star Sports.