IPL 2025: The race to the IPL playoffs is heating up. Five teams have already recorded five wins. Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans are the frontrunners to finish in the top two, while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are on the brink. But nothing is decided yet.
What’s the magic number?
In a 10-team league, 16 points (8 wins) is considered the magic number. In the previous four IPL editions with 10 teams (2011, 2022, 2023, and 2024), every team that reached 16 points qualified for the playoffs.
What about 14 points?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) achieved the near impossible in IPL 2024 by reaching the playoffs with just 14 points. Three other teams — Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants — also finished on 14 points, which significantly worked in RCB’s favour. For instance, Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants in the 64th match of the league stage. Had Lucknow won that game, RCB’s final league match against CSK would have been inconsequential. The competitiveness among the mid-table teams created a rare scenario last season.
IPL 2024, Points after 40th match
Rajasthan Royals – 14 points
Kolkata Knight Riders – 10 points
Lucknow Super Giants – 10 points
Sunrisers Hyderabad – 10 points
Chennai Super Kings – 8 points
Mumbai Indians – 8 points
Gujarat Titans – 8 points
Delhi Capitals – 6 points
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 2 points
Note: Three of the top four teams in the points table after the 40th game made it to the playoffs.
Race to the playoffs, IPL 2025
Teams may miss out on the playoffs even with 16 points. If results unfold a certain way, up to seven teams could finish with 16 or more points, making net run rate a decisive factor.
7 teams finishing on 16 or more points
Note: The allocation of wins to teams is just to establish that seven teams can finish with 16 or more points.
Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders can individually finish with 16+ points. Four teams can even finish with 18+ points by themselves.
In one of the scenarios we tried, GT, DC, PBKS, and LSG finished with 18 points, and RCB, KKR, and MI finished with 16 points.
The picture will obviously change based on actual events, and the upcoming games are extremely crucial in shaping the playoff race.
Watch this space for periodic analysis on the playoff race.
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