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NDTV
28-04-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
IPL 2025 Playoffs Scenario For All 10 Teams Explained
Highlights Mumbai Indians won against Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru climbed to the top with a six-wicket win. Gujarat Titans need three wins in four matches for playoff qualification. The 'Revenge Week' of IPL 2025 delivered a blockbuster Sunday for all the cricket fans as the teams perfectly lived up to the theme of the week. The day began with Mumbai Indians registering a big 54-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium. It was MI's fifth win on trot which gave them 12 points after 10 matches. Later, Royal Challengers Bengaluru avenged their previous defeat against Delhi Capitals with a six-wicket victory at the Arun Jaitely stadium. With these results, the race to the playoffs got more intense as it made the scenario tough for the teams in the bottom half of the table. Let's discuss the qualification scenarios of all the ten teams: 1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru After the win over DC, RCB have climbed to the top of the points table with 14 points in 10 matches. In the remaining four matches, if they get two wins, they will be all but qualified for the playoffs. Three or four wins will also guarantee them a top two finish. 2. Gujarat Titans With 12 points in 8 matches, GT need to win only three matches out of remaining, in order to earn a playoffs spot. If they win four games, they will definitely storm into the playoffs. 3. Mumbai Indians The five-time champions won five games on the trot after miserable start to the season. After 10 games, they have secured 12 points and now need to three games out of four to guarantee a playoffs berth. Two wins can also certain their chances of qualification. 4. Delhi Capitals DC emerged as one of the strongest sides in the ongoing edition. With 12 points after 9 games, the Axar Patel -led side need four wins out of 5 for a comfortable qualification. If they win three matches, then also their playoffs chances will be almost confirmed. 5. Punjab Kings With five wins and one no-result game after nine matches, PBKS need to win four matches out of five to earn a playoffs berth. If they win three, then also they will have a strong chance of qualification. 6. Lucknow Super Giants LSG are currently sitting at the sixth spot with 10 points after 10 matches. They need to win three matches out of four to remain alive in the race to playoffs. 7. Kolkata Knight Riders The defending champions are having a tough time in the ongoing season with only three wins after nine matches. They need to win all their remaining five fixtures, in order to stay in contention for the playoffs berth. 8. Sunrisers Hyderabad Just like KKR, SRH are also having a forgettable outing with only three wins after nine matches. They need to win all their remaining five fixtures, in order to stay in contention for the playoffs berth. 9. Rajasthan Royals After facing defeats in seven out of nine matches, RR are all but out of the race of playoffs. However, they still have a minor hope if they win all the remaining five matches with a huge margin and the other teams' results also go their way. 10. Chennai Super Kings The five-time champions' condition is no better than RR with similar number of losses in nine matches. Just like RR, they also need to win their remaining games by a huge margin and then depend on the results of the other teams, in order to reach the playoffs.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
‘INR 23.75 crore buy is neither their captain nor the main player': RP Singh on KKR's Venkatesh Iyer tactics
Kolkata Knight Riders have tried different opening combinations but so far, nothing has worked for them in IPL 2025. Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have partnered with Sunil Narine, but a good opening partnership has eluded KKR this season. Last season, the regular starts that Narine and Phil Salt gave KKR were one of the main reasons behind their title-winning run. But this year, neither Narine nor any of the openers have been able to get KKR off to a decent start. Former India pacer RP Singh suggested a rethink for KKR. RP Singh said KKR should play one overseas player less and open with Narine and Venkatesh Iyer. "Sunil Narine is an impactful player He is a good batsman. KKR have benefited from his batting in the past. He can work on his preparation," said RP Singh, JioStar IPL Expert, addressing the media ahead of the 'Revenge Week' clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. The former left-arm pacer said Venkatesh Iyer, who made a name for himself in the IPL at the top of the order, can be tried as an opener. Reduce one foreign player. And get Venkatesh Iyer as an opener. I think Narine should stay. His batting performance is important. Venkatesh Iyer can open Narine. And use the power of Rahman Powell. It's not a bad option. It happens a lot. Looking at the nets, current form, and surrounding scenarios. Coaches and support staff assess who is in the best form. KKR costliest pick in the mega auction, Venkatesh Iyer, has been a major disappointment this year. Apart from one half-century, the lanky left-hander hardly has anything to show for in the 18th season. "KKR have invested a lot Venkatesh Iyer. He has given a lot of time. Let him be an opener," RP Singh said. When India's 2007 T20 World Cup-winning cricketer was asked about the auction price ( ₹23.75 crore) that KKR paid to Iyer, he said the management should have given him more responsibility and appointed him captain. "When you make a player a part of your team in such a big auction, you must be thinking about whether he will be our main player or our captaincy material. But both those things are not there. I think KKR management has made a mistake. When you left your best captain (Shreyas Iyer) at the auction table, somebody will definitely pick him and now he's captaining well at PBKS." RP Singh added that Iyer must be under a lot of pressure to justify his price tag. "At this moment, I don't think it will be wise to drop Iyer. You have given him a number of matches. You can only get a quality player back in form by giving him more matches. The money given to him to make him a part of the team may be playing in his mind. 'I have received so much money, why can't I make my team a champion?' There is an overpressure," he said. Iyer has scored just 135 runs in 8 matches at a strike rate of 139.
India Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Venkatesh Iyer underperforming in IPL 2025 due to price tag pressure: RP Singh
RP Singh feels that Venkatesh Iyer is failing to perform regularly because he is trying to justify the hefty price tag in IPL 2025 for KKR. The defending champions surprised everyone by shelling out Rs. 23.75 crore rupees for Venkatesh during the IPL 2025 auction. However, the southpaw has struggled during the tournament as he has scored just 135 runs in 8 matches at an average of 22.5 and a strike-rate of was slammed by fans for his lack of intent during the chase against GT in KKR's last game. Speaking exclusively to India Today ahead of the TATA IPL 2025 'Revenge Week' clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, JioStar expert Singh said that KKR made a bit of a misjudgement during the auction with the bid for former pacer feels that it wouldn't be best for KKR to drop the MP batter right now and feels he can come into form slowly with each game. Singh feels that the price tag is playing on Venkatesh's mind at the moment and he may be overthinking that he needs to single-handedly win the championship for his side. "This is a slightly tough question because when a player is picked at such a high price in the auction, somewhere in your thoughts, you're considering him either as your main player or as a potential captaincy material. But here, he has turned out to be neither. So I feel that there has been a bit of a misjudgement from KKR during the auction, at the table during selection."advertisement"You let go of your best captain, and now he's doing well captaining another team. So I don't think it's a great option to drop this player now. Because you've already given him a good number of matches. Form issues can happen with any player, but usually, the more matches you play, the better your form gets gradually. Dropping him isn't really a solution.""What could be happening is that the amount of money he was bought for is playing on his mind. Maybe he's thinking, 'I was bought for such a huge amount, I must perform and take my team to the championship. That over-expectation might be creating pressure," said as an opener?Venkatesh started his career with KKR as an opener and Singh feels it could be a way to solve KKR's batting order issues."No, this isn't a bad idea. In fact, it's a good thought — to reduce one foreign player and let Venkatesh Iyer open. I feel Narine should definitely be in the team because his batting performances become important at times.""So maybe Venkatesh and Narine can open together, and they can bring in someone like Powell in the middle order to use his power-hitting there. So this option isn't bad at all."advertisementWhile Singh admitted that the decision ultimately lies with the team management, they could open with Venkatesh and Sunil Narine as they have already invested a lot in the MP batter."It depends on how the management is thinking, because many times the coaches and support staff assess things based on current form seen in the nets and the surrounding scenarios. That's something we can't really see sitting outside.""But yes, this option of making Venkatesh open — I think it's worth trying. You've already invested so much time in him, so why not let him open the innings?" said updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Tune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
Hans India
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
IPL 2025: Iyer's move to PBKS is a gamechanger, says RP Singh
New Delhi: Come Saturday, and Shreyas Iyer will be stepping on the Eden Gardens turf as the skipper of Punjab Kings, aiming to get his team two crucial points against a misfiring Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the side he led them to IPL 2024 title. While many expressed surprise over Iyer not being retained by KKR, the right-handed batter has gone about his business as the PBKS' skipper with his usual sharp and thoughtful demeanour, resulting in the side winning five out of eight IPL 2025 games so far. It also helps Iyer's cause of leading PBKS with aplomb that he has scored 238 runs as the number three batter in four away matches this season, with the strike-rate standing at a massive 201.69. RP Singh, the former India left-arm fast-bowler, feels Iyer's shift from being KKR's winning captain last year to playing against them as the PBKS skipper at the Eden Gardens will hold huge importance when the two sides clash in a crunch Saturday evening game. 'The Punjab Kings-Kolkata Knight Riders is a pretty important game of this week's fixtures as Punjab defended a very small total last time through great bowling (in New Chandigarh). It looked like KKR would be dominant, but their form hasn't been that great.' 'Saturday's match also becomes more important because the winning captain of KKR last year is the captain of Punjab right now, which is Shreyas Iyer. So somewhere, that also holds a huge importance in this upcoming match,' said Singh, a JioStar expert, to IANS in a virtual interaction on Friday, on the sidelines of 'Revenge Week'. In PBKS' solid defence of a paltry 111, the lowest score defended in the IPL, it was Iyer's captaincy, tight field settings and timely rotation of bowlers that really stood out in outsmarting KKR at its first home turf, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Under his leadership, senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal regained form by picking a stunning four-fer to skittle KKR for just 95. That match also saw left-arm pacer Marco Jansen sizzle with 3-17 while Arshdeep Singh, the leading wicket-taker for PBKS so far, held one end firmly with 1-11 in his three overs. The KKR-PBKS clash likely to be played on the pitch where Gujarat Titans (GT) made 193 and outclassed the defending champions 39 runs. Iyer and his star bowlers – via Jansen's intimidating bounce, Arshdeep's sharp swing, and Chahal's crafty flight and loop – would be eager to make a strong statement once again against the Ajinkya Rahane-led side, this time at the Eden Gardens. 'It also depends on which wicket they are playing as because nowadays even the wickets on the same ground behave differently and the dew factor is also becoming important. Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh are very important players due to their performances.' 'As soon as they take wickets with the new ball, it pressurises the opposition. There's also Chahal to put in another match-winning performance, but the importance of medium pacers is going to be more because they bowl in power-play, and the team that performs better in powerplay in terms of bowling and batting, they will have an upper edge,' concluded Singh. Catch Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings in an electrifying IPL 2025 Revenge Week clash at 7:30 PM on Saturday, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
‘Rajasthan Royals missing Sanju Samson; should've retained Jos Buttler': Anil Kumble
Rajasthan Royals' performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season has left much to be desired. The franchise has been without the services of regular captain Sanju Samson for most of the games, and he will also miss the upcoming fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium due to a side strain. The franchise is languishing in the bottom half of the points table after losing six out of eight matches. The Royals failed to chase down nine runs in the final over against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. They lost against Delhi in the Super Over, while against Rishabh Pant and co, the team fell two runs short. RR have been facing severe criticism for some tactical blunders. Questions are being raised about their batting order. In the Super Over against Delhi Capitals, the management opted to send in Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer first ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and this decision led to many brickbats coming Rajasthan's way. Former India Test captain Anil Kumble, a JioStar expert for the 'Revenge Week', weighed in on RR's struggles this year. The legendary cricketer said he is not fond of teams using a right-left combination and vouched for Shimron Hetmyer's promotion in the batting order. Hetmyer has largely been used as a finisher this year. "In T20 format, there's no set batting order. There's no set bowling order. Everyone needs to be adaptable. As a spinner, if I go and tell the captain that I can only bowl after six overs, I can't bowl in the powerplay. That's not a great thing," said Kumble while replying to a Hindustan Times query. "And similarly, as a batter, you can't have a set pattern saying; I can only bat after 15 overs. It's a matter of understanding the situation and utilising your resources in the best possible way. Sometimes we get too fixated with this right-left combination. "Someone like Shimron Hetmyer, who's known as a finisher, needs to get the right opportunity. Ideally, we don't want a situation where he needs to go in when you need 13-14 runs and over. Might as well send him when you require 8 or 9 or 10. Your chances of winning are more," he added. Kumble believes not having Samson for most games has affected the franchise's chances this season. "Missing Sanju Samson is a big thing. He is a key player for Rajasthan Royals. Yashaswi batting well is certainly a good thing for them. Kumble was also surprised the Rajasthan Royals did not retain Jos Buttler, who is currently setting the stage on fire for the Gujarat Titans. "Jos Buttler was the key player for the Rajasthan Royals for a while. He was instrumental in single-handedly damaging the opposition," said the former India spinner, who has 619 Test wickets to his name. "I was a bit surprised that RR didn't retain him. However, with the team that they have, they should have won both the games. It happens. It's happened to many teams. You will sort of lose from a winning position. I am sure that's something that they will have to assess. Otherwise, they have the team. It's not that they don't have the team to beat any side in this competition. It's just a matter of understanding that you don't leave the charge right till the end. Some teams can win from those situations. But when you are not doing it, you might as well think that you only have 19 overs to chase down rather than 20. That may sort of help Rajasthan," he added. Kumble, who has captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the past, believes that the franchise has not read the conditions at home properly. The Rajat Patidar-led side has lost all its matches at home so far. "It's just adapting to the conditions. People think that when you're playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it's going to be a flat track. You need 250 with the kind of impact players now and with the kind of batting that these young batters are doing. So, when you're batting first, it becomes a bit of a challenge. What's a good score? But again, you need to assess the conditions. Maybe that's something that RCB haven't done really well. And the added fact that I feel for RCB, especially when they're batting first, Virat becomes a very, very key player for them," said Kumble. "Because all the batters around him look to really attack from ball one. Their only mantra is that. Whereas, I think Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli, those two are the key to lay a solid foundation. And I was a bit surprised, especially when RCB played Punjab. I know it was a short-haul game. That they didn't pick Devdutt Padikkal. Because I felt that he was a missing key there for that game. But it's just a matter of time. They won last year. So, it's no different this year. It's not that every game they have played, it's only that they have lost this year," he stated.
