Playoff picture much more clearer after last night’s IPL action saw Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings register victories.
Yesterday’s double-header results have now made the Playoff picture for the IPL much more clearer.
After Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday night, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Punjab Kings (PBKS) all secured their spots in the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Due to the outcome, there was only one playoff slot left, and the DC, MI, and LSG teams were all in the running.
With 12 games played, GT’s victory put them atop the table with 18 points, ahead of RCB and PBKS in second and third place, respectively, with 17 points. Since they meet each other on May 21, only one of MI (now on 14) and DC (currently on 13) can reach 17 or more points, while LSG can reach a maximum of 16 points if they win their final three games.
DC will be eliminated if they lose to MI. If MI loses against DC, they will have to defeat PBKS in their last game and hope that DC loses to PBKS in their final league game. They also need LSG to lose at least one of their next three games.
RCB is making the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, while GT is doing so for the third time in four IPL seasons. For the first time since the 2014 IPL, PBKS is assured of finishing in the top four. For the team under new coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer, the turnaround is historic.
Even though GT, RCB, and PBKS have secured their spots in the playoffs, they are still vying for a top two finish, which would give them two chances to advance to the championship game. To advance directly to the final, the teams who place first and second on the points table face off in Qualifier 1. For a spot in the final, the loser of Qualifier 1 faces the winner of the Eliminator, which is between the teams who finish No. 3 and 4.