Race to IPL 2025 playoffs: two out, tough fight at the top – ESPN India

Welcome to ESPN India Edition
Aakash Chopra and Abhinav Mukund were blown away by the MI batter (1:59)
Fifty matches into IPL 2025 and two teams – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) – have been eliminated from the race to the playoffs. What do the remaining eight need to do to secure that top-four finish?
Played: 11, Points: 14, NRR: 1.124
Remaining matches: GT (h), PBKS (a), DC (h)
With six wins in a row, the latest being a 100-run thumping that eliminated RR, MI are on course to finish in the top four, and possibly even the top two. Not only do they have momentum on their side, they also have the best NRR among all teams. It puts them at the top of the table above RCB, who also have 14 points but have played one game less than MI.
MI can finish in the top four even if they end on 14, depending on other results and NRR. They could also be among five teams with 18 or more, which is where their net run rate could help them provided they stay ahead on that parameter. MI also have two home games in hand, which could be crucial given that they have won four out of five at home so far, the most by any team.
Wasim Jaffer, meanwhile, thinks they invested in “different departments” this time
Played: 10, Points: 14, NRR: 0.521
Remaining matches: CSK (h), LSG (a), SRH (h), KKR (h)
RCB have 14 points after ten games, a strong position in a season where the qualification cutoff is likely to rise as the gap between the top five and the bottom three becomes huge.
It’s possible for as many as seven teams to finish on 16 or more points, and for five teams to get to 18 or more. For RCB to be absolutely sure of qualification, they need to get to 20. On the other hand, if other results go their way, RCB could qualify even with 14 points.
Two of RCB’s last four matches are against CSK and SRH, two of the poorest teams this season. They also have three home games to go, though that isn’t necessarily an advantage, given that they are six wins out of six in away games, and only one out of four at home.
Wasim Jaffer and Daren Ganga on the Punjab captain’s knock against CSK in Chennai
Played: 10, Points: 13, NRR: 0.199
Remaining matches: LSG (h), DC (h), MI (h), RR (a)
PBKS have lost only one of their last five games, winning three and gaining one point through a washout against KKR. As things stand, six teams can finish on 17 or more points, which means PBKS need to win three of their four remaining games to be certain of qualifying. Fifteen points will give them a chance, too, though they’ll be left depending on other results, but 13 will eliminate them.
Ian Bishop and Varun Aaron have their say
Played: 9, Points: 12, NRR: 0.748
Remaining matches: SRH (h), MI (a), DC (a), LSG (h), CSK (h)
GT are also on ten points, but they have a game in hand, having played only nine so far. They also have an excellent NRR of 0.748, second only to MI’s 0.889. Wins in each of their three home matches – against SRH, LSG and CSK – should assure them a place in the playoffs, since they already have a healthy NRR. Given that they have a 3-1 win-loss record in Ahmedabad, they will be targeting the points at home, especially since two of those matches are against the bottom-placed teams on the table.
Varun Aaron and Ian Bishop dissect DC’s bowling for the conditions in Delhi ahead of their game against KKR
Played: 10, Points: 12, NRR: 0.362
Remaining matches: SRH (a), PBKS (a), GT (h), MI (a)
From five wins in six matches, DC have slipped to six in ten. Three losses in their last four games have pushed them down to fifth on the points table, which is why they will probably welcome the five-day break before their next match, away against SRH. DC have also won three out of four away games, compared to only three out of six at home, so they may not mind playing three of their last four at away venues. Like with other teams, they are not safe on 18 points, but neither are they out on 14.
How does Pant get rid of his form slump?
Played: 10, Points: 10, NRR: -0.325
Remaining matches: PBKS (a), RCB (h), GT (a), SRH (h)
Like DC, LSG have also lost three of their last four, and are stuck in the middle of the table with ten points in ten games, two points fewer than DC. Three of LSG’s four remaining matches are against teams in the top four, and to make matters worse for them, their NRR of -0.325 is the poorest among the teams in the top seven. Sixteen points will give them a chance, but even 18 doesn’t guarantee qualification at the moment.
Daren Ganga on how they can make better use of the power-hitters
Played: 10, Points: 9, NRR: 0.271
Remaining matches: RR (h), CSK (h), SRH (a), RCB (a)
The win against DC has kept KKR in contention for a top-four finish. But with only nine points from ten games so far, the maximum they can finish on is 17. As mentioned earlier, it’s possible for five teams to finish on 18 or more points, which means even their best in the last four matches might not be enough for KKR to earn a place in the playoffs. As with PBKS, 15 points will give KKR a chance, but 13 will eliminate them.
Aaron Finch and Varun Aaron wonder whether Pat Cummins’ team will temper their all-or-nothing strategy with the bat
Played: 9, Points: 6, NRR: -1.103
Remaining matches: GT (a), DC (h), KKR (h), RCB (a), LSG (a)
If SRH win their five remaining games and finish on 16, they could make it to the playoffs without having to rely on NRR, if other results go their way. Even with 14 points, they could be fighting for the fourth spot. However, even to get to 14, SRH will need four wins from five matches, which, given their current form, is a tall order.

source