Rajasthan Royals (RR) slipped further down the IPL 2025 points table after suffering a defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match 25 of the season. The Titans, led by a strong middle-order performance and a clinical bowling display, handed RR their third loss of the campaign, creating a tighter mid-table race.
It was a night to forget for the Royals, who struggled to contain Gujarat’s late acceleration and failed to chase down the steep target. With this defeat, questions around RR’s qualification scenario for IPL 2025 playoffs have started to emerge.
Following the loss to GT, Rajasthan Royals now find themselves seventh on the IPL 2025 points table with just 4 points from 5 matches and a negative Net Run Rate (NRR). The loss dents their momentum and places them in a crowded mid-table fight with KKR, MI, and CSK — all of whom are also scrapping for playoff contention.
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| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Titans | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +1.413 |
| Delhi Capitals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.257 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.015 |
| Punjab Kings | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +0.289 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +0.078 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.056 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.733 |
| Mumbai Indians | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.010 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.889 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.629 |
RR’s NRR remains a concern, and with multiple teams stacked around the 4–6 points range, every match from here on becomes crucial.
RR qualification scenario for IPL 2025 hinges on how they perform in their next four to five games. Historically, seven wins (14 points) is the minimum needed to stay in contention, while eight wins (16 points) often ensures a spot in the top four.
With four matches already lost, RR can afford only 2–3 more defeats in their remaining nine games. Improvement in NRR is also vital, especially if qualification comes down to tiebreakers.
A key concern is their inconsistent middle-order, which failed to fire under pressure once again. However, with match-winners like Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal in their ranks, a turnaround is very much possible — if they start winning immediately.
In most IPL seasons, 7 wins (14 points) give a team an outside chance to qualify for playoffs, but 8 wins (16 points) is usually the safer number to target. Occasionally, teams have snuck into the top four with 14 points — but only when Net Run Rate (NRR) has worked in their favour.
After their loss to GT, Rajasthan Royals (RR) now have:
That leaves them with 9 games remaining in the league stage.
To realistically qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs, RR must do these.
Key upcoming matches like the double-header against RCB and the return fixture against GT will be crucial in determining whether Rajasthan Royals can stay in the playoff race or fall behind the chasing pack.
With experienced players and a decent squad with good bowling options including a back-in-form Jofra Archer, RR are still very much alive in the race — but their margin for error is getting narrower with each game.
RR’s upcoming fixtures will determine their playoff hopes. They face a tough run, with repeat matches against RCB and GT, and crunch games against mid-table rivals.
They’ll need to target the next three games as must-win encounters before entering the business end of the league.
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Sai Sudharsan continued his stellar IPL 2025 form with another composed knock. His 82 off 53 balls against Rajasthan Royals was filled with a mix of clean hitting and smart strike rotation. The GT batter now has 273 runs in 5 innings, placing him second in the list of top run-scorers this season behind LSG’s Nicholas Pooran, who has also been racking up runs for fun.
Sudharsan’s ability to anchor and accelerate has been central to GT’s success, and his consistent scores are boosting GT top two chances as well in the IPL 2025 points table. Sudharsan has been so consistent that he has hit over 40 in six of his last 8 IPL matches, a run stretching back to the last season.
Mohammed Siraj delivered yet another high-impact performance, claiming a key wicket and keeping things tight in the powerplay. With this, he now has 10 wickets in 5 matches, placing him at joint-second in the IPL 2025 highest wicket-takers list, after Noor Ahmad.
Siraj’s economy and early breakthroughs have made a huge difference for GT, and if he maintains this rhythm, he could end the season with the Purple Cap.
While Sai Sudharsan played the sheet-anchor role, Rahul Tewatia provided the fireworks late in the innings. His 24 not out off just 12 balls ensured GT posted a challenging total of 217, giving their bowlers a solid cushion.
Shahrukh Khan was another crucial contributor. Promoted to No.4, he smashed 36 off 20 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. His clean hitting in the middle overs shifted momentum and put RR’s bowlers under pressure. Prasidh Krishna was the star with the ball for Gujarat Titans as he picked up three wickets for 24 runs in his four overs, continuing his impressive improvement in line control this year.
For Rajasthan, there were flashes of promise from Shimron Hetmyer but it wasn’t enough to match GT’s all-round performance or challenge the total on board.
With this loss, RR’s playoff hopes take a hit, but the tournament is far from over. Their next few games are critical in shaping their destiny. If they can win 5 out of their next 6, they’ll be right back in the mix. The key will be consistency, particularly in the middle order and with the ball in the death overs.
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