Race to qualify for IPL 2025 playoffs heats up

The grand finale of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season is scheduled to take place on 25 May, 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, none of the ten teams have confirmed their spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs, but the trio of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have already been knocked out of contention. The race to qualify for the knockouts stage saw a huge twist on Tuesday when the Gujarat Titans (GT) registered a phenomenal 3-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Shubman Gill-led GT team have once again claimed the top position on the IPL 2025 points table with a total of 16 points from as many as 11 matches this season. In this blog piece, we will discuss the qualification scenarios for the IPL 2025 playoffs. 

Who will be the four teams to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs?

The Gujarat Titans are currently placed at the top of the points table during the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 season and they need just one more victory from their remaining three matches in order to confirm a spot in the playoffs. Gujarat Titans are scheduled to face the Delhi Capitals on 11 May, 2025, Lucknow Super Giants on 14 May, 2025 and Chennai Super Kings on 18 May, 2025. The Shubman Gill-led GT team also have a really good chance of finishing at the top two spots and therefore, they will be aiming to end the league stage at the top spot on the table. 

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are on a roll in IPL 2025 having registered a total of 8 victories from their 11 games so far this season. RCB are scheduled to lock horns next with the Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders during their remaining three matches. Interestingly, the Royal Challengers Bangalore potentially have a chance to reach a maximum of 22 points if they manage to win all of their remaining three games. However, the scenarios might change if RCB end up losing all of their last three matches. 

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are currently placed at the third spot on the points table with as many as seven victories from their eleven matches in the ongoing edition of the T20 tournament. The Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS team will be taking on the Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in their remaining three matches. With a current tally of 15 points, the Punjab Kings are required to win atleast one of their remaining three matches in order to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs. 

Before the recent loss to the Gujarat Titans, the Mumbai Indians (MI) had registered as many as six back-to-back wins in the T20 tournament. However, after conceding a single loss, things have become troublesome for the five-time champions on the IPL 2025 points table. In the present situation, the Mumbai Indians will have to win both of their last two matches in this T20 competition against the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals to keep their fate in their own hands. 

The Delhi Capitals started their IPL 2025 campaign on a wonderful note with four consecutive victories, however, they have suffered a significant downfall in the second half of the tournament. Delhi witnessed two back-to-back losses recently against Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Delhi Capitals will be facing the Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in their remaining three matches. They can now reach a maximum of 19 points to confirm a top two finish on the points table. 

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders can also qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs, but for that they will have to win all of their remaining three matches against Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Lucknow Super Giants have a mathematical chance to claim a spot in the knockouts, however, they too need to win their last three matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.