Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) moved to the top of the IPL 2025 points table after a narrow win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The victory, powered by Romario Shepherd’s 14-ball fifty and a clinical bowling effort, took RCB to 16 points from 11 matches — making them the first team to hit the 16-point mark this season. So, have RCB qualified for IPL 2025 playoffs already? We discuss that and more here.
Let’s take a closer look at the updated standings, RCB’s remaining fixtures, and how other contenders could influence the RCB qualification scenarios.
📊 Updated IPL 2025 Points Table After RCB Beat CSK
Team
Mat
Won
Lost
NR
Pts
NRR
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
11
8
3
0
16
+0.482
Mumbai Indians
11
7
4
0
14
+1.274
Gujarat Titans
10
7
3
0
14
+0.867
Punjab Kings
10
6
3
1
13
+0.199
Delhi Capitals
10
6
4
0
12
+0.362
Lucknow Super Giants
10
5
5
0
10
-0.325
Kolkata Knight Riders
10
4
5
1
9
+0.271
Rajasthan Royals (E)
11
3
8
0
6
-0.780
Sunrisers Hyderabad
10
3
7
0
6
-1.192
Chennai Super Kings (E)
11
2
9
0
4
-1.117
Have RCB Qualified for IPL 2025 Playoffs?
Yes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have now all but secured qualification for the IPL 2025 playoffs. With 16 points from 11 games, RCB are in a commanding position.
Here’s why:
No more than four teams can finish above them based on current standings and remaining fixtures.
Teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, and Rajasthan Royals are already eliminated or unlikely to catch up.
Even if multiple teams finish on 16, RCB’s high points total and good NRR make it highly likely they’ll finish in the top four.
So, while not mathematically official yet, RCB qualification is practically confirmed.
With three matches left and 16 points already secured, RCB top two hopes are well alive. Historically, 18 points almost always guarantees a top-two finish.
To finish top two:
RCB must win at least two of their remaining three matches.
Their fate also depends on how Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings perform in their remaining games.
A strong Net Run Rate gives RCB a cushion in case of points tie.
RCB Remaining Fixtures – Key Matches Ahead
Match
Opponent
Venue
Date
59th
Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow
May 09
64th
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Bengaluru
May 13
68th
Kolkata Knight Riders
Bengaluru
May 17
Winning 2 out of these 3 games will almost certainly guarantee a top-two finish. Even one more win could secure qualification officially.
Other Teams in the Playoff Race – What It Means for RCB
With RCB at 16 points from 11 matches, their playoff qualification is nearly confirmed. However, their top two finish is still open and will depend on how other playoff contenders perform. Here’s how the upcoming fixtures could impact RCB’s position:
🟡 Punjab Kings (13 pts from 10 games)
Still have 4 games left. They can reach a maximum of 21 points.
If PBKS win 3 or more games, they could challenge RCB for a top-two spot.
Key matches vs LSG, DC, MI, RR – losses in any of these will ease RCB’s top-two push.
🟠 Delhi Capitals (12 pts from 10 games)
Can also get to 20 points max.
Still to play SRH, PBKS, GT, MI – a loss in any of these matches will reduce their threat to RCB’s top-two hopes.
RCB would benefit from DC dropping at least one game.
🔵 Mumbai Indians (14 pts from 11 games)
MI have 3 games left. They can get to 20 max.
Play GT, PBKS, DC – all against playoff rivals.
If MI lose even one match, RCB will stay ahead on points with a win from their last three.
🟢 Gujarat Titans (14 pts from 10 games)
GT are the biggest challengers for the top spot.
Still have 4 matches vs MI, DC, LSG, CSK.
Two losses for GT would leave them behind RCB if RCB win 2 of their last 3.
🔴 Lucknow Super Giants (10 pts from 10 games)
Play RCB next. A win for RCB would end LSG’s top-two ambitions.
LSG can only reach 18 points, and they still play PBKS, GT, SRH — multiple tough fixtures.
Even one more loss could eliminate LSG from top-two contention and playoffs.
🟣 Kolkata Knight Riders (9 pts from 10 games)
Can get to 17 points max.
Still face RR, CSK, SRH, RCB.
RCB can directly knock them out by winning the last league game on May 17.
🟠 Sunrisers Hyderabad (6 pts from 10 games)
Can only reach 14 points. One more loss and they are out.
RCB play them at home on May 13. That match could mathematically eliminate SRH.
Final Verdict: Have RCB Qualified for IPL 2025 Playoffs?
The big question after the win is ‘Have RCB qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs?’. Yes, RCB have practically secured a place in the IPL 2025 playoffs after reaching 16 points from 11 matches following their win over CSK. Historically, 16 points is almost always enough to qualify for the top four, although it’s tighter this year, and with a strong Net Run Rate, RCB are well positioned.
Can RCB Still Miss Out?
Only in an extremely rare scenario. For RCB to finish outside the top four, all of the following must happen:
RCB lose all 3 remaining games and stay on 16 points.
At least 4 other teams finish with 16+ points and have a better Net Run Rate.
Unlikely combinations of results go against RCB (e.g., DC, PBKS, LSG all win 3+ games).
In short: the odds of RCB missing out are negligible, and one more win will confirm qualification officially.
Can RCB Finish in the Top Two?
Yes — and here’s what needs to happen:
If RCB win 2 of their 3 remaining matches (finish on 20 points): ✅ They will almost certainly finish in the top two.
If RCB win 1 of 3 (finish on 18 points): 🔁 Top-two finish will depend on Net Run Rate and other teams’ results. Still very likely.
If RCB lose all 3 (stay on 16 points): ⚠️ They can still qualify, but top two is ruled out, and playoff qualification would then depend on other teams not crossing 16 with better NRR.
