IPL 2025 Playoff Scenarios

One of the most popular T20 cricket leagues globally, the IPL, is just a few weeks away. The last season was watched by 620 million fans, an all-time high viewership record. Still, the cricket world can’t wait, and countless fans are trying to stay ahead of the events, tracking every detail they can about their favourite sides.

IPL Dates and News

The season runs from March 22 to May 25 and has 74 matches involving ten teams. The qualification round starts on May 20, the 71st match. Nevertheless, fans are already excited and exercising their futurology skills to predict which team will come out on top. Anyway, Dafanews Indian Premier League 2025 is the best place to follow the competition. Staying informed about the latest news is vital for fans and punters alike.

The Kolkata Knight Riders were the champions of the previous season, followed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Chennai Super Kings. There’s a lot of anticipation regarding the first match, where the defending champions, KKR, will face one of the best-performing sides in the previous season, CSK.

The standing champions will also host the Qualifier 2 and final rounds. Each side will play 14 times until the first qualifier. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will play twice this season, promising exciting matches. There will be matches every day (eventually, two per day) from March 22 to May 18, two days before Qualifier 1.

Here’s a quick overview of the IPL 2024 Top 5 final table.

Teams	Points	Position
Kolkata Knight Riders	20	1st
Sunrisers Hyderabad	17	2nd
Rajasthan Royals	17	3rd
Royal Challengers Bangalore	14	4th
Chennai Super Kings	14	5th

Top 5 Favourites

IPL 2025 matches haven’t even started yet, but there are already some guesses about who’ll make it to the playoffs. Here are the favourites so far and why.

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR’s victory last year was far from a fluke. The squad counts on top names like Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell. However, the club has sold Shreyas Iyer's efficient captaincy for an outstanding value to the Punjab Kings. If the team has made the right choices in the auction, it’s easy to imagine KKR riding up to the top again, even without its captain.

Chennai Super Kings

CSK stayed out of the Top 4 ranking last year, but it would be a mistake to leave it out of the favourites list. After all, it still has names like Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni in its ranks, who have been game-changers more than once. The club has also been investing in young talents such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, creating a promising blend of experience and freshness.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Likewise, a side that plays with Virat Kohli should never be underestimated. The RCB finished among the Top 4 last season. Indeed, it can have an even better result this year if new acquisitions manage to improve issues like batting firepower and bowling effectiveness. Indeed, the club acquired four bowlers in the last auction. The RCB has never won an IPL title, though it has been the runner-up three times.

Mumbai Indians

MI’s performance was less than impressive in the previous season, as it finished bottom of the table. However, recent changes in the squad can restore it to its former glory. Like the RCB, MI is also trying to find a balance between experienced players and new talents. However, the success of this blend will largely depend on the choices they make in the next transfer window. It wouldn’t be the first time MI rose from the ashes.

Gujarat Titans

The Titans held the title for the last time in 2022, not so far away. Indeed, they didn’t perform well in 2024, closing the IPL campaign in 8th place. Still, it was only two points behind CSK, and the renewed squad could pull a surprise this year. The captaincy is still the same, and the club has been investing in a blend of national and international names.

The Mega Auction

IPL 2025 Mega Auction took place in Saudi Arabia last November. It was a two-day event involving hundreds of professional cricketers from India and abroad. Lucknow Super Giants placed a surprising bid for Rishabh Punt: INR 270 million, the highest bid ever recorded in the event.

Shreyas Iyer has received a similarly high bid, INR 267.5 million, and has briefly held the record. The auction also saw the youngest signing in history. The Rajasthan Royals acquired the 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi for no less than INR 11 million. Each team had a budget of INR 1,2 billion, and all the teams should have between 18 and 25 players by the end of the event.

Stars like Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins, and Rohit Sharma were kept at their original squads for handsome prices as well. Here’s a Top 5 list with the most expensive players of the last auction.

Rishab Pant: INR 270 million
Shreyas Iyer: INR 267.5 million
Venkatesh Iyer: INR 237.5 million
Arshdeep Singh: INR 180 million
Yuzvendra Chahal: INR 180 million

FAQ

When does the IPL 2025 start?

The IPL 2025 will begin on March 22. The playoffs are scheduled to start on May 20, and the final round will take place in Kolkata on May 25.

Who are the favourites for this year?

KKR is coming to defend its title, and it’s one of the strongest contenders. Other favourites include Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Roya Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans.

Which team is the biggest IPL winner so far?

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians top the list with five titles each, followed by Kolkata Knight Riders with three titles, including last year’s. Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers, and Rajasthan Royals have one title each.