IPL 2025 Playoff Drama: How GT, PBKS, RCB and MI can seal a top-two finish | Cricket News
IPL trophy (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is delivering a final week full of drama, with playoff berths already sealed — but the battle for the crucial top-two spots still wide open. As the league stage winds down, the four qualified teams — Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians — are locked in a fierce race for a strategic advantage in the playoffs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Despite qualifying early, all four teams have faltered since then. Since the top-four spots were sealed, five of the seven final league matches have been played, and three of the top four teams — GT, PBKS and RCB — featured in four of them, losing each time. Who’s that IPL player?Gujarat Titans, who were sitting comfortably at the top with 18 points and a healthy net run rate, suffered two back-to-back defeats, missing their chance to seal a top-two finish.Standings after Match 68:1. Gujarat Titans – 18 pts (0 matches left)2. Punjab Kings – 17 pts (NRR advantage)3. RCB – 17 pts4. Mumbai Indians – 16 ptsWith two matches remaining in the league stage — PBKS vs MI on Monday (May 26) and RCB vs LSG on Tuesday (May 27) — every ball bowled will have serious implications for the playoff seeding.
Top-Two Qualification Scenarios:Gujarat Titans (18 pts)
- No matches left.
- Will finish in the top two only if both RCB and PBKS lose their final matches.
Punjab Kings (17 pts)
- Remaining Match: vs MI on Monday
- A win secures a top-two finish, potentially even top spot if RCB loses.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (17 pts)
- Remaining Match: vs LSG on Tuesday
- Victory guarantees a top-two finish regardless of other results.
Mumbai Indians (16 pts)
- Remaining Match: vs PBKS
- A win propels them to 18 points, likely enough for a top-two finish depending on NRR.
Why top two matters:Finishing in the top two means a direct entry to Qualifier 1, offering two chances to reach the final — a massive tactical edge. For the teams that slip to third or fourth, it’s sudden death in the Eliminator.The stakes couldn’t be higher. With every side capable of finishing anywhere in the top four, the final two league matches promise intense drama, tactical battles, and playoff-shaping moments.
