Unlike previous editions, the playoff race in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 was settled well before the final league match. Yet, it took the very last game to determine the exact match-ups.
Table-toppers Punjab Kings will lock horns with second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 on Thursday, while Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians will face off in the Eliminator on Friday.
Both games will be played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur. As teams gear up for the knockout phase, several overseas stars have left for international duties, leading to a mix of forced reshuffles and strategic depth testing.
Here's a closer look at the players each playoff-bound team will miss 바카라 and how they plan to cope.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
Unavailable: Jacob Bethell, Lungi Ngidi | Replacements: Tim Seifert, Blessing Muzarabani
RCB enter the playoffs with a perfect away record and strong momentum, but they face uncertainty around the fitness of Tim David. The big-hitter sat out the final league match due to a hamstring concern and remains 바카라a work in progress,바카라 as per mentor Dinesh Karthik.
David바카라s strike rate of 185.14 바카라 sixth-best among batters with 100+ runs 바카라 makes him a vital cog in the lower-middle order. If unavailable, the pressure will mount on Liam Livingstone, whose form (SR 126.08) has been underwhelming this season. The inclusion of Josh Hazlewood, if confirmed, will be a major boost, especially with his dual role in the powerplay and death overs.
Gujarat Titans (GT):
Unavailable: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada | Replacements: Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka
GT face a significant reshuffle as Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada due to national duties. Buttler alone formed a major part of the top-order engine, alongside Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan, with the trio accounting for nearly 75 percent of GT바카라s runs.
Kusal Mendis, brought in as a replacement, will have to shoulder a massive responsibility at the top. The bigger worry, however, is Rashid Khan's form. With just nine wickets in 14 matches and an economy of 9.47 바카라 including a joint-most 31 sixes conceded 바카라 Rashid has had his least effective IPL season. The Afghan spinner's turnaround will be key if GT hope to progress.
Punjab Kings (PBKS):
Unavailable: Marco Jansen | Replacement: No Replacement
PBKS have leaned heavily on their Indian core this season 바카라 from the reliable top-order to incisive bowlers. But with Marco Jansen unavailable due to World Test Championship final against Australia, they lose a valuable asset who offered both left-arm pace and handy lower-order runs.
Kyle Jamieson, who has had a quiet return to IPL after Lockie Ferguson was ruled out due to injury, will need to rise to the occasion. Meanwhile, there's good news: Yuzvendra Chahal, who missed the last two games due to a wrist niggle, is expected to return for the playoffs 바카라 bolstering their spin options.
Mumbai Indians (MI):
Unavailable: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch| Replacements: Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, Richard Gleeson
Despite losing key overseas batters, MI have enough firepower to remain a strong playoff contender. Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton바카라s exits (due to national duties) can be smoothly handled, with Jonny Bairstow likely to step in as opener and keeper, while Suryakumar Yadav can shift up to No. 3.
Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs provide flexibility in the middle order, and Asalanka바카라s off-spin could be a tactical bonus. MI will also take heart from their overall squad depth, though consistency in the bowling department will be vital in the knockout rounds.
WTC And England Bilateral White-ball Series Vs West Indies:
The South African and Austrlian players are leving for the World Test Championship 2025 scheduled to take plave from June 11-15 at The Lords, England. Defending champions Australia will take on first-time finalists South Africa for the mace from June 11-15 at the hallowed venue.
Marco Jansen, Ryan Rickleton, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabad and Lungi Ngidi are all in the South Africa squad and they will return back to stast the training.
Meanwhile, England will host West Indies for a six-match white-ball series this summer, featuring three ODIs followed by three T20 Internationals. The ODI leg begins on May 29 at Edgbaston, followed by matches in Cardiff (June 1) and The Oval (June 3).
The T20I series kicks off on June 6 in Chester-le-Street, with the remaining games scheduled for Bristol (June 8) and the Utilita Bowl in Southampton (June 10).
Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Will Jacks all are named in the England squads.
Updates Squads:
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, B. Sai Sudharshan, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Mohmmad Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, R. Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya
Mumbai Indinas: Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Deepak Chahar, Charith Aslanka, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Shrijith Krishnan, Raj Angad Bawa, Venkat Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Raghu Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Richard Gleeson.
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Josh Inglis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Singh Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey, Nehal Wadhera, Mitchell Owen, Kyle Jamieson
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Siefert, Mayank Agarwal, Swastik Chhikara, Blessing Muzarabani, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee
