Punjab Kings (PBKS) didn’t help themselves by going down against the Delhi Capitals in their penultimate home game in Jaipur on Saturday evening.
After Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), it was a third day in a row when a qualified team ended up messing up their chances of making it into the top two. All is not lost for each of the four teams to finish in the top two spots on the leaderboard in the ongoing IPL season but RCB and Punjab Kings especially, haven’t helped their chances given Gujarat Titans still comfortably sit at the top.
IPL 2025 Points Table after Match 66 – PBKS vs DC
Here’s how each of the qualified teams can ensure a top-two finish-
Gujarat Titans: Win on Sunday against Chennai Super Kings, as simple as that. With both RCB and Punjab Kings losing their previous game, it cleared the way for the Titans to confirm let alone the top two but the top position as they will get to 20 points if they manage to beat the five-time champions under the Ahmedabad sun.
Punjab Kings: The loss on Saturday wasn’t what the doctor ordered for Shreyas Iyer and Co as it has taken the top-two finish out of their hands. Now, Punjab Kings will have to win their final league stage game against the Mumbai Indians and hope that one of the Gujarat Titans or RCB loses their final league game. If GT and RCB both win their remaining games, Punjab Kings will have to ensure their NRR stays above RCB’s, as both will be tied on 19 points if they beat the Mumbai Indians on Monday in Jaipur.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: RCB’s net run rate took a massive hit after a 42-run loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and just a win against the Lucknow Super Giants might not cut it for the three-time finalists. Good thing for RCB? They play the league stage culmination game and hence, will be in a better position to gauge what they need to do in terms of margins provided one of or both GT and PBKS have won their respective games.
Mumbai Indians: The top two is likely the farthest for the five-time champions. Even if the Mumbai Indians win their final league game against the Punjab Kings, they would have to hope that one or both GT and RCB lose their respective last games to create a room in the top two. The tournament has suddenly come alive in the last few days after the resumption and it will be a gripping fight for the top two with just four games remaining.