Finishing in the top two positions — playing Qualifier 1 is of the utmost priority for any team qualifying for the playoffs of the Indian Premier League.
Getting a spot in the first Qualifier ensures the top-2 finishing sides a second chance to reach the final, even if they fail to do so in the first attempt.
Heading into the final two matches of the season 18 of the league, the Gujarat Titans, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Punjab Kings failed to grab their opportunities to get their tickets to Qualifier 1 over the span of matches 64 to 67, losing their respective matches.
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The things are very well poised where all four sides can potentially reach the Qualifier 1 after Mumbai Indians also got into the mix in the mentioned span of matches.
In this article, TSN takes a look at how each team can reach the all-important number 1 or 2 on the table.
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How can GT, PBKS, RCB and MI reach the top-2 in IPL 2025?
Following the end of the Gujarat Titans' league game with losses against the Lucknow Super Giants and the bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings, they do not have their destiny in their own hands.
The rest of the three sides that have already sealed their qualifications for the playoffs can stay calm and get their desired results from the last two matches to go to Mullanpur for the Q1.
Below are the scenarios for each team explained.
Punjab Kings:
The Kings had a golden opportunity to seal the top two with a win over the Delhi Capitals on May 24, however, a win in their next match against the Mumbai Indians on May 26 will be enough for them for a Q1 spot.
Mumbai Indians:
The five-time champions, despite a poor start to the season, find themselves in a situation to go to the first qualifier after two consecutive losses for the Titans and one each for the Royal Challengers and the Kings.
A win on May 26 against PBKS will be enough for them to qualify.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
RCB could have also got their qualification for the spots done already, but their loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad also worsened their net-run rate.
However, the recent losses of PBKS and GT mean a win against the Lucknow Super Giants on the final day of the league phase (May 27) would be enough for them.
Gujarat Titans:
GT only needed a single win in their last two matches against the eliminated LSG and CSK, but the consecutive losses mean they will need to depend on other results to play the Q1.
The result in the PBKS vs MI match would not matter to them as the winner will automatically qualify. However, an LSG win over RCB will ensure the 2nd spot for GT.
| Team | Match | Required result |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab Kings | PBKS vs MI (May 26) | PBKS win |
| Mumbai Indians | PBKS vs MI (May 26) | MI win |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | RCB vs LSG (May 27) | RCB win |
| Gujarat Titans | RCB vs LSG (May 27) | LSG win |