IPL 2025: What teams need to do for a top-two finish

Gujarat Titans have their fate in their own hands © AFP
The top four spots were sealed with seven matches still to play in IPL 2025 - the earliest it has been in an IPL season. However, with four matches still left and all four Play Off teams to feature once more, all four have a realistic shot at a top two finish that should give them two bites at the cherry. With all to play for, here is what each of them need to do.

Gujarat Titans

Points 18 | NRR +0.602

Match remaining: vs CSK, Ahmedabad

Gujarat Titans have their fate in their own hands and a win against bottom dwellers CSK will seal them a top of the table finish and a berth in Qualifier 1. If they stay at 18 points at the end of the league, they will be pushed out of top two if RCB beat LSG and get to 19 points as the winner of Punjab-Mumbai game is certain to finish ahead of Titans - Punjab by virtue of points and Mumbai by virtue of NRR. As of how things stand, Titans are the only side with a shot to finish in the top two even with a defeat in their final league game.

Punjab Kings

Points 17 | NRR +0.327

Match remaining: vs MI, Jaipur

Punjab followed the heels of Titans and RCB in the preceding two days in losing to a team not in contention, leaving their fate precariously placed. If they get the better of Mumbai on Monday, they will need either CSK to beat Titans or RCB to either lose to LSG or if RCB win, stay at a lower NRR. In the event of both Punjab and RCB winning their final games (as do Titans), Punjab will need a winning margin of at least five runs if RCB win theirs by 20 runs (presuming team batting first score 200). If Punjab tastes a defeat at the hands of Mumbai, they cannot finish in the top two.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Points 17 | NRR +0.255

Match remaining: vs LSG, Lucknow

The defeat to SRH has put RCB's hopes of a top two finish dependent on other results. If they beat LSG in the final league match of the season and get to 19 points, they will need either GT to lose to CSK and remain on 18 points or Punjab lose to Mumbai or win by a small enough margin so that RCB's NRR stays ahead of that of Punjab (refer to NRR scenario in Punjab section). If RCB lose to LSG, they will have to contend with going through an Eliminator, something they have been a regular feature in four of the last five editions.

Mumbai Indians

Points 16 | NRR +1.292

Match remaining: vs PBKS, Jaipur

Despite losing four of their first five matches, Mumbai are still contention for a top two finish thanks to their extraordinary NRR of +1.292 - by far the best in the competition. For them to finish in the top two, they will need to beat Punjab on Monday and will need at least one of Titans or RCB to drop their final game.