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IPL 2025 playoff scenarios: RCB, MI and GT in pole position; SRH on the verge of joining CSK and RR on the way out

IPL 2025 playoff scenarios: RCB, MI and GT in pole position; SRH on the verge of joining CSK and RR on the way out

FirstCricket Staff May 4, 2025, 16:09:28 IST

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have been the standout teams so far in the 2025 Indian Premier League and are on the verge of sealing a top-four finish. With the season in its business end, here are the playoff scenarios for each of the 10 teams.

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IPL 2025 playoff scenarios: RCB, MI and GT in pole position; SRH on the verge of joining CSK and RR on the way out
While Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians occupy the top two spots on the IPL 2025 points table, Sunrisers Hyderabad are on the verge of bowing out of the playoffs race. AP

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has entered its business end with 52 games having been played so far and another 22 set to be conducted over the course of the next three weeks, 18 of them in the league phase.

And before Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings face Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants respectively in the latest Sunday double-header, we take a look at the playoff scenarios for each of the 10th teams involving in the competition.

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In pole position: RCB, MI, GT and PBKS

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans have consistently remained in the playoffs zone throughout the season, with the former winning their last four matches in a row. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, were languishing at the bottom of the table after losing four out of their first five games in a familiar slow start to a season, only to produce an incredible mid-season comeback with six victories in a row.

Mumbai Indians have produced a stunning comeback this season, collecting six consecutive wins to jump to the top two from the bottom of the points table. AP

RCB have virtually qualified for the playoffs even if they don’t have a ‘Q’ against their name. No team, after all, has ever missed out on the playoffs after collecting 16 points in the league phase – in IPL seasons where each team played 14 games before the playoffs.

It’s also highly unlikely that both MI and GT will fail to progress to the playoffs given they’re set to face each other at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday and at least one of them will have a minimum of 16 points on the board, assuming the match doesn’t get washed out.

PBKS, meanwhile, have been having a start-stop run after starting their season with back-to-back victories, but revived their hopes of reaching the IPL playoffs for the first time since their runner-up finish in 2014 with a four-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.

Caught in the mid-table scrum: DC, LSG and KKR

Delhi Capitals were playoff favourites at one point after a dream start to the season with five wins in as many matches. The 12-run defeat against Mumbai Indians at home would not only end their winning streak, it would also derail their campaign with the Axar Patel-led side losing three of their next four matches as well, including against the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday.

Lucknow Super Giants have had a similar story, they were in the top half after collecting a hat-trick of wins last month, only to find themselves at the sixth spot currently after losing three out of their last four matches, including a 54-run thrashing against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

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Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, have had a start-stop season so far, alternating between winning and losing for the better part and showing flashes of brilliances occasionally.

For DC, LSG and KKR, their next two or three outings could decide whether they stand a chance of securing a top-four finish this season or not. And in Kolkata and Lucknow’s case, that includes their matches against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings respectively in the double-header on Sunday.

On the verge of elimination: SRH

Former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad have been a shadow of the side that had finished runners-up last year despite starting the season with a 44-run victory over the Royals in which they posted 286 on the board. They would lose their next four consecutive matches and have been part of the bottom-three ever since.

Sunrisers Hyderabad find themselves needing to win each of their four remaining games this season besides needing other results to go their way to qualify for the playoffs. AP

They had snapped their losing streak with a brilliant eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in which they chased down a target of 246 with ease, and also kept their campaign hanging by a thread with a five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings. A 38-run defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, however, has left them on the verge of getting knocked out of the playoffs race.

Not only will SRH need to win each of their remaining four games, they will need to win them by handsome margins keeping Net Run Rate in mind while also needing other results to go their way.

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Playing for pride: RR and CSK

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings had become the first team to bow out of the IPL 2025 playoffs race following their four-wicket loss against Punjab Kings at home on Wednesday. Rajasthan Royals joined them the very next day with a lopsided thrashing against MI at home.

The two teams have little to play for other than pride and handing opportunities to reserve players in their squad. CSK’s losing run continued on Saturday with a two-run loss against RCB at the Chinnaswamy, suffering a rare season double against their southern rivals. RR, meanwhile, will be hoping to spoil KKR’s party at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

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