The IPL 2025 playoff race is boiling down to the final stretch, and only one spot remains as GT, RCB, and PBKS have officially secured their top-four places. But who will join them, and who could clinch a coveted top-two finish? Here’s a breakdown of the playoff qualification scenarios and top-two race: ✅ Confirmed in the Playoffs 1. Gujarat Titans (GT) – 18 pts (12 matches) Locked in: Playoffs ✅ Top-two status: Strong position Two wins in remaining two matches = definite No. 1 finish. 2. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – 17 pts (12 matches) 3. Punjab Kings (PBKS) – 17 pts (12 matches) Locked in: Playoffs ✅ Still fighting for: Top-two finish 🎯 What’s at Stake for Top 3? Two of these three will finish in the top two and play Qualifier 1. The third will play Eliminator as No. 3. Key Fixtures: May 21: MI vs DC – Direct knockout. The loser is effectively eliminated. MI’s path: Win vs DC ✅ Beat PBKS ✅ Hope DC lose to PBKS ❌ Hope LSG lose at least one of their remaining 3 ✅ DC’s path: Beat MI ✅ Beat PBKS ✅ Reach 17 points → Could qualify on NRR if MI stuck at 14 and LSG at max 16. LSG’s path: Win all 3 → Reach 16 and qualify if MI and DC stay below 16 Lose even one → Must rely heavily on NRR + MI/DC defeats. 📊 Top-Two Race – Intra-Playoff Jostling GT (18) need one win to lock top-two. RCB and PBKS (17) need to: Win both remaining games (to reach 21) Hope GT lose one or both (to leapfrog them) 🧮 Crunch Points: GT, RCB, PBKS: fighting for finishing top-two. MI, DC, LSG: scrapping for the last playoff slot. May 21 (MI vs DC) could be the virtual eliminator. Net Run Rate may be the tiebreaker — keep an eye on margin of wins.