With Mumbai Indians (MI) defeating Delhi Capitals (DC), the IPL 2025 Playoffs lineup is officially confirmed—and in record time. For the first time in IPL history, four teams qualified for the playoffs when seven league matches were still left, making it the earliest qualification completion ever.
However, while Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and MI have sealed their playoffs berths, the real race is now for the top two — and with it, the all-important Qualifier 1 berth and a second shot at the final. This playoffs’ road to the final started in 2011, and phenomenally, only once has a team finishing below second managed to lift a title. That was obviously the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who finished third but still managed to beat RCB in the final in 2016.
IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 qualification chances
Here’s a look at each team’s current qualification chances for a top-two finish:
| Team | Points | Matches Left | Top 2 Chance (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GT | 18 | 1 | 70% |
| PBKS | 17 | 2 | 80% |
| RCB | 17 | 1 | 45% |
| MI | 16 | 1 | 25% |
What Each Team Needs
- Gujarat Titans (GT): Unfortunately lost their last game vs LSG. Now have just one remaining game (vs CSK). Need to win that game and hope RCB & PBKS lose points.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): RCB dealt a blow, losing their game vs SRH. Now, they have just one game remaining. That remaining game (vs LSG) is a must win for them now. Also NRR plays a massive role and they would want PBKS to drop points too.
- Punjab Kings (PBKS): Must win both (vs DC, MI) and hope to edge past RCB on NRR. One loss could end hopes, considering RCB have favourable matches.
- Mumbai Indians (MI): Can reach 18 points with one game left (vs PBKS), but their fate heavily depends on other results. They don’t need either RCB or PBKS to win any of their remaining games.
