Mumbai Indians Eye Top Two Finish in IPL 2025
The first qualifier of the IPL 2025 playoffs will be held on Thursday, May 29, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.
MI Seals Playoff Spot With Win Over DC
On Wednesday, May 12, the Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated the Delhi Capitals by 59 runs in their 13th league match at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. With this win, MI secured their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs in front of their home crowd.
MI sits fourth in the points table with 16 points from 13 games.
Aiming for the Top Two
After qualifying for the playoffs, MI aims to finish in the top two. Doing so would allow them to play in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing directly to the final.
According to IPL rules:
- The top two teams play Qualifier 1.
- The loser of Qualifier 1 faces the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2.
- The winner of Qualifier 2 joins the Qualifier 1 winner in the final.
How MI Can Finish in the Top Two
To Finish First:
MI needs to:
- Defeat Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their final match on May 26 in Jaipur.
- See Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and PBKS each lose their next two matches.
This would put MI at 18 points and, due to their higher net run rate (NRR), they’d finish above GT.
To Finish Second:
MI will need:
- A win against PBKS.
- RCB to lose both of their remaining games.
- PBKS to lose to Delhi Capitals on May 24.
In this case, MI would also end with 18 points but finish second behind GT.
What If These Scenarios Don’t Happen?
Even if MI beats PBKS:
- They could still end up fourth if RCB and PBKS win one of their next two matches.
- In that case, MI would play the Eliminator, not Qualifier 1.
Key Matches to Watch
- May 22: GT vs LSG in Lucknow
- May 24: PBKS vs DC in Jaipur
- May 25: GT vs CSK in Ahmedabad
- May 26: MI vs PBKS in Jaipur
- May 27: RCB vs LSG in Lucknow
MI’s Track Record
In IPL 2020, MI topped the standings and won the championship. They hope to repeat that success this season by securing a top-two finish.
