IPL 2025 Playoff Drama: How GT, PBKS, RCB and MI can seal a top-two finish | Cricket News – Times of India

IPL trophy (Image credit score: BCCI/IPL)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is delivering a last week full of drama, with playoff berths already sealed — however the battle for the essential top-two spots nonetheless broad open. As the league stage winds down, the 4 certified groups — Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians — are locked in a fierce race for a strategic benefit within the playoffs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Despite qualifying early, all 4 groups have faltered since then. Since the highest-4 spots have been sealed, 5 of the seven last league matches have been performed, and three of the highest 4 groups — GT, PBKS and RCB — featured in 4 of them, shedding every time. Who’s that IPL participant?Gujarat Titans, who have been sitting comfortably on the high with 18 factors and a wholesome internet run charge, suffered two again-to-again defeats, lacking their likelihood to seal a top-two finish.Standings after Match 68:1. Gujarat Titans – 18 pts (0 matches left)2. Punjab Kings – 17 pts (NRR benefit)3. RCB – 17 pts4. Mumbai Indians – 16 ptsWith two matches remaining within the league stage — PBKS vs MI on Monday (May 26) and RCB vs LSG on Tuesday (May 27) — each ball bowled can have critical implications for the playoff seeding.

Top-Two Qualification Scenarios:Gujarat Titans (18 pts)

Punjab Kings (17 pts)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (17 pts)

Mumbai Indians (16 pts)

Why high two issues:Finishing within the high two means a direct entry to Qualifier 1, providing two possibilities to achieve the ultimate — a huge tactical edge. For the groups that slip to 3rd or fourth, it’s sudden loss of life within the Eliminator.The stakes couldn’t be larger. With each facet succesful of ending anyplace within the high 4, the ultimate two league matches promise intense drama, tactical battles, and playoff-shaping moments.