Indian Premier League 2025: With Regular Season Almost Over, Who is Moving On?

By Cricadium Staff 09 May 2025, 11:31 IST

IPL 2025 Playoff Race: Who’s In, Who’s Out?

With the 2025 campaign of the IPL almost at the end of the regular season, it is high time we took a look at the table and what is to come. Fewer than a handful of games remain for each of the 10 teams, and with 4 spots leading into the postseasons, as many as 6 are in play to grab one for themselves and make their cities and fans proud. If you are a fan of cricket and the best domestic league on the planet, this final stretch of games is the best time of year. Let us dive deeper into it.

A Look at the Table

At the moment of writing, most teams have played 10 games with only two at 11. With that being said, several teams are in a great position to move if they manage to end the season strong and secure their place in the playoff tournament. Right now, it is the Mumbai Indians leading the standings with 14 points from 7 wins and 4 losses and an NRR rating of +1.274. They have five wins in their last five games and look to be a team that will definitely play in the postseason. Behind them, we find two teams with the same record of 7 wins and 3 losses, and 14 points. The Gujarat Titans are second with a better NRR of +0.867, while the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are third with +0.521. The only team so far with 13 points is the fourth-placed Punjab Kings with 6 wins and 3 losses and +0.199 in the NRR department. Knowing which team is in the best spot to win is crucial if you are a fan of online IPL betting, as it can allow better predictions.

These four teams have the best chances of moving onto the playoffs, which in the Indian Premier League is the number of regular season teams that move on. The remaining six are eliminated, and right now we can confidently say that the last four teams in Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Chennai Super Kings are without any chance, considering their 9, 6, 6, and 4 points tallies. Two teams that still have some hope left include the Delhi Capitals in the fifth spot with 12 points from 6 wins and 4 losses, and the Lucknow Super Giants with 10 points from 5 wins and 5 losses. If either pulls off a nice stretch of games in the remainder of the season, they could end up in the playoffs, especially if they beat one of the better-ranked teams in front.

Individual Stats and Leaders

An often overlooked aspect of every IPL season includes the individual statistical leaders while the season is still going on. It can give a great insight into what can be expected in the big playoff games, should the leaders’ team advance, of course. In terms of runs, Sai Sudharsan of the Titans is leading the league with 504 runs in 10 games. Behind him is Suryakumar Yadav with 475 in 11 games, and then in third and fourth, another two Titans players, Jos Buttler with 470 runs and Shubman Gill with 465 runs in 10 games. Rounding up the top five is the legend himself, Royal Challengers’ Virat Kohli, last season’s top runner, who in 10 games this season has had 443 runs.

On the wickets front, the Titans are also in front with Prasidh Krishna leading with 19 wickets in 10 matches. The Royal Challenger Josh Hazlewood is second with 18 in 10 games, and then Trent Boult of the Indians with 16. Fourth, we find Noor Asham of the Super Kings with 15, after whom there are three players with 14 wickets sharing the fifth spot. They include Khaleel Ahmed (Super Kings), Mitchell Starc (Capitals), and Mohammed Siraj (Titans).

Upcoming Matches and Odds

Let us now focus our attention on the upcoming games over the next several days, matchups that can be a deciding factor in the playoff race and perhaps even in establishing the firm favorites for the 2025 title. From May 3 to May 6, plenty of games are on schedule, with all teams in action from Saturday to Tuesday. Today afternoon, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are at home and hosting the Chennai Super Kings. The home team is the heavy favorite in this one with 1.50 odds while the guests are the underdogs at 2.30. It should be easy pickings for the Challengers who look to improve their standing in this last tretch of the season.

On Sunday, May 4, there are two great games on schedule, with the home teams as favorites in both and similar odds between them. First, it is the Kolkata Knight Riders welcoming the Rajasthan Royals with the odds for the teams at 1.57 and 2.15, respectively. In the second game of the day, the Punjab Kings play in front of their home crowd against the Lucknow Super Giants, where the odds are 1.65 versus 2.05 in favor of the domestic side. Both of these teams have a great chance to improve their rankings and finish the season strong.

On Monday, May 5, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite playing at home, only get 1.90 in their duel against the visiting Delhi Capitals in what is a game of an outsider, eliminated team versus a playoff hopeful. For the Capitals, this is perhaps the final chance to catch one last train to the postseason. On Tuesday, May 6, the Mumbai Indians, the best team in the league, host the Gujarat Titans and get 1.60 odds at home versus their guests’ 2.05. It is a match between the first and second seeds and perhaps a preview of this season’s upcoming final. Make sure to take this information and head to an online sports betting platform like Sportsbet.io to place some cricketing bets/

IPL Playoffs FAQ

How do teams qualify for the IPL playoffs?

The top four teams in the table qualify for the playoffs based on the number of points earned and Net Run Rate (NRR).

What is the format of the IPL playoffs?

The playoffs consist of four matches, qualifier with 1st vs 2nd place teams, eliminator with 3rd vs 4th place teams, a qualifier 2 with the loser of qualifier 1 vs winner of eliminator, and the final between the winner of qualifier 1 vs winner of qualifier 2.

Why do the top two teams get two chances to reach the final?

This rewards consistent performance in the league stage. Even if a top-two team loses qualifier 1, it gets another shot in qualifier 2.

What happens if a playoff match ends in a tie?

If a playoff match is tied, a Super Over decides the winner. If the Super Over is also tied, further Super Overs are played.

Can playoff matches be affected by rain?

Yes. The IPL has reserve days for the final, and the playoffs have specific tie-break rules if rain washes out a match (team ranking in the league stage).