IPL playoffs: How the four teams stack up

Unlike erstwhile seasons, the 4 playoffs teams for IPL 2025 were known good earlier the league signifier ended. But it took till the past league lucifer to determine who plays whom. Punjab Kings (RCB), who topped the table, volition look the second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successful Qualifier 1 connected Thursday, portion Gujarat Titans (GT) volition instrumentality connected Mumbai Indians (MI) successful Eliminator connected Friday. Both matches volition beryllium played successful Mullanpur. With respective overseas players leaving to articulation their nationalist teams, here's a look astatine however the 4 teams stack up earlier the playoffs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players unavailable for playoffs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Lungi Ngidi

Replacements: Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Blessing Muzarabani

Key takeaway: Tim David sat retired of RCB's past league crippled with a hamstring wounded and remains "a enactment successful progress", according to squad mentor and batting manager Dinesh Karthik. Among those who person scored astatine slightest 100 runs this season, David has the sixth-highest onslaught complaint (185.14). If helium stays unavailable, it volition rob RCB of the lower-middle-order firepower. Can Liam Livingstone, who has a onslaught complaint of 126.08 this season, up his crippled successful David's absence?

On the agleam side, Josh Hazlewood is apt to beryllium disposable for Qualifier 1. He has been outstanding some successful the powerplay and astatine the death. RCB's flawless distant grounds this play - 7 wins successful 7 matches - should besides boost their confidence.

Likely champion XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Tim David/Liam Livingstone, 8 Romario Shephard, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash Sharma

Gujarat Titans

Players unavailable for playoffs: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Glenn Phillips

Replacements: Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka

Key takeaway: Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler person scored astir 73% of GT's bat runs. Therefore, Buttler's unavailability leaves a monolithic spread for Kusal Mendis to fill. Another interest for GT is Rashid Khan's form. No substance what parameter you look astatine - average, onslaught complaint oregon system - helium is having his worst IPL season. In 14 games, helium has picked up conscionable 9 wickets astatine an system complaint of 9.47. He has been deed for 31 sixes, the joint-most for immoderate bowler successful an IPL season.

Likely champion XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh Krishna

Punjab Kings

Players unavailable for playoffs: Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie Ferguson

Replacements: Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Owen

Key takeaway: PBKS' biggest spot this play has been their Indian core, beryllium it successful the batting section oregon bowling. That said, Marco Jansen's lack volition instrumentality distant immoderate sting from their bowling and lower-order batting. Can Kyle Jamieson measurement into those shoes? Yuzvendra Chahal missed the past 2 league games due to the fact that of an contented with his close wrist but helium is expected to beryllium disposable for the playoffs.

Likely champion XII: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

Mumbai Indians

Players unavailable for playoffs: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, Vignesh Puthur

Replacements: Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, Richard Gleeson, Raghu Sharma

Key takeaway: Despite losing 2 of their past 3 games, MI stay a formidable unit. Moreover, Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks' unavailability should not impact them much. Jonny Bairstow tin regenerate Rickelton astatine the apical of the bid and down the stumps. To screen up for Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav tin determination up to No. 3 and 1 of Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs tin slot successful the mediate order. Asalanka tin besides spot successful with his offspin if required.

Likely champion XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Karn Sharma