Royal Challengers Bengaluru returned to the IPL 2025 playoff spots after their win against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Sunday afternoon. In the second fixture, Mumbai Indians kept their push for a playoff spot alive with a convincing 9-wicket win against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
RCB’s seven-wicket win propelled them from fifth place to third in the latest IPL standings. The top-four places are currently occupied by Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, RCB and PBKS.
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The top-four teams will qualify for the playoffs and the two teams will get two chances at making the final. But the race will not be straightforward with five teams now on 10 points. Besides the top-four, Lucknow Super Giants also have 10 points to their name.
Meanwhile, the 9-wicket defeat for CSK could well mean curtains for their chances of making the next stage in the competition. They continue to struggle for runs and were hapless with the ball as well at the Wankhede Stadium to occupy the last spot. They have picked just two wins from eight matches in the season.
IPL 2025 Points after April 20.
In the contest at Wankhede, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav struck fluent half-centuries as MI chased down the 177-run target with 26 balls to spare.
Needing 177 to win, Rohit (76 not out off 45 balls) and Suryakumar (68 not out off 30) shared an unbeaten 114-run stand for the second wicket to take MI home. Ravindra Jadeja (1/18) was the lone wicket-taker for CSK.
Earlier, Shivam Dube and Jadeja cracked half-centuries and shared a 79-run partnership for the fourth wicket as five-time champions Chennai Super Kings made 176 for 5.
In the day’s first game, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal smashed half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bengaluru crushed Punjab Kings by seven wickets.
Chasing 158, Kohli (73 not out off 54 balls) and Padikkal (61 off 35 balls) shared a 103-run partnership, which formed the backbone of the massive win achieved with seven balls to spare.
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Earlier, spinners Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26) shared four wickets between them as Punjab Kings struggled to build momentum with RCB striking at regular intervals.
Opener Prabhsimran Singh top-scored for the hosts with a 17-ball 33 after being invited to bat.
