As the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches its conclusion, fans are reflecting on a season that has been both exhilarating and unpredictable. Spanning for over two months from March 22 to June 3, this 18th edition of the IPL featured 10 teams competing across 70 league matches.
The league stage was marked by breakout individual performances and unexpected team outcomes. The three playoff matches also promise to be high-stake encounters, culminating in the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on June 3. Additionally, the closing ceremony will pay a heartfelt tribute to the Indian Armed Forces for their exemplary bravery in Operation Sindoor, and add a patriotic touch to the season’s finale.
An Action-Packed Season
IPL 2025 witnessed Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s explosive entry alongside Rishabh Pant’s struggles amidst a season disrupted by cross-border conflict. Mumbai Indians staged a perfect comeback, Gujarat Titans maintained composure and Royal Challengers Bengaluru dominated the away games completely.
Punjab Kings exceeded everyone’s expectations, while fan favourites Chennai Super Kings and IPL 2024 defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders faltered, setting the stage for a thrilling playoff showdown.
The Indian Premier League has finally entered its playoff stage – dramatically and in flamboyance. After 70 matches of explosive batting, tense finishes and unprecedented off-field events, four teams are left in contention for the coveted title.
At the heart of the league stage were two pole-apart narratives – the astonishing rise of 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals’ discovery Vaibhav Suryavanshi who smashed the second-fastest IPL century of all time, and the disappointing fall of Lucknow Super Giants’ skipper taken for INR 27 crore, Rishabh Pant, who failed to inspire both with his bat and leadership.
Adding to the chaos, the season was suspended mid-way due to armed geopolitical conflict near the India-Pakistan border, raising concerns about player safety. With such a volatile mix of brilliance, heartbreak and drama, IPL 2025 delivered an unforgettable league phase.
Let us see the top 10 highlights from this year’s performances that made the 18th edition of th world’s biggest cricket league a benchmark in many ways.
1) IPL 2025’s league stage belonged as much to fearless youth as it did to flailing veterans. The undisputed star was Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old sensation from Rajasthan Royals who smashed a 35-ball century, finishing with 252 runs from seven games.
2) Other breakout stars included Priyansh Arya, who hammered a century for Punjab Kings, and promising knocks from Ayush Mhatre (Chennai Super Kings) and Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS), adding youthful flair to the league.
3) In contrast, Pant, the IPL’s costliest player at Rs 27 crores failed to justify the price tag. With just 269 runs from 14 matches and questions swirling around his captaincy, Pant’s campaign ended in disappointment. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni’s mid-season return to captaincy failed to revive a sinking ship as CSK finished last for the first time in IPL history.
4) IPL 2025 has been a season of two extremes in many ways – bolstering highs on the fields, but weird rules and disappointments off it. Sunrisers Hyderabad posted massive totals – 286 for 6 against Rajasthan Royals and 278 for 3 against Kolkata Knight Riders, but their inconsistency plagued their middle-patch games and lack of performance from the bowling unit kept them from climbing higher on the points table.
5) One of the most unforgettable highlights of IPL 2025 was the temporary halt of the league’s matches, due to border tensions between India and Pakistan in wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22. With Operation Sindoor launched by Indian armed forces in the state of J&K, there was a break in the game continuity. This break saw overseas players of several teams heading back home owing to safety concerns, making it one of the most significant steps in this year’s tournament.
6) A special achievement that came through in the league stage was Royal Challengers Bengaluru becoming the first team in IPL history to win all of their seven away games, a feat no other franchise has been able to replicate. They secured a berth in the playoffs with unmatched momentum. If this was not enough, Virat Kohli, the face of Indian cricket became the first batsman for RCB and league T20 cricket to surpass the 9000-run mark for his team. He has emerged as the highest run-scorer of all time, scoring over 8600 runs since IPL 2008 and 424 runs in the now-defunct Champions League T20, taking his total to 9030 runs altogether.
7) One of the biggest comebacks of this year has been the turnaround made by Hardik Pandya led Mumbai Indians. After facing a defeat in four of their first five games, they won six on the bounce to storm into the playoffs. His credible captaincy, Suryakumar Yadav’s consistency and Jasprit Bumrah’s 17 wickets made all the difference.
8) The all-round clinical performance exhibited by Gujarat Titans was a real treat for the cricket fans. The Ashish Nehra – Shubman Gill winning combination, Sai Sudharsan’s fiery batting and a formidable bowling unit made GT seal their playoff spot with heroics.
9) Two hugely popular teams with multiple titles to their credit, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders finished at the lower end of the points table. Both the teams had an abysmal season – the IPL 2012, 2014 and 2024 champions, KKR led by a new-captain Ajinkya Rahane failed to deliver despite a firepower unit. Letting Shreyas Iyer go ahead of the mega-auction proved to be a blunder by KKR’s management.
CSK, five-time champions of the best cricket league globally did not create any magic this year, despite being led by veteran MS Dhoni. Having taken his team to glory in the past, his mid-season captaincy reign post Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exit due to injury had built high hopes but had to endure a forgettable season.
10) The biggest and most pleasant revelation of IPL 2025 has been the mighty rise of Punjab King as the team of the year. For the sheer hard work and comeback done by skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, the team are clear favourites to emerge as the title contenders. The entire squad portrayed a picture of determination, grit, discipline and self-belief – all the ingredients part of their success recipe. The team has entered the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and as the table-toppers of the league stage, they wrote a script that is worth all the applause and appreciation they deserve.
Race to Finals
As the playoffs begin and the race to the finals set of June 3 commence with the Qualifier 1, the narrative shifts from restraint to redemption. Will it be MI’s momentum, GT’s balance, or RCB’s dominance that gets the better off others to make them life the prestigious IPL 2025 trophy and cash prize?
Or will PBKS, the underdogs-turned warriors of this year script a fairytale finish to life their maiden title? It’s a race to the finish now!
FAQs on IPL 2025
1)Which four teams have qualified for IPL 2025 playoffs?
The four teams to qualify for IPL 2025 playoffs are Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
2) Which Indian smashed the fastest century in IPL?
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14-year-old debutant for Rajasthan Royals created history by smashing the fastest hundred in IPL as an Indian, a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025.
3) When is the IPL 2025 finals?
The final clash of IPL 2025 will take place on June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi stadium.
The post IPL 2025: Top 10 Highlights of the League Stage, Race to Finals Begins appeared first on Sportzcraazy.
from Cricket News & Updates | Today Cricket Rankings | Latest Match Schedule https://ift.tt/6yQV7me
via IFTTT
0 Comments