Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) aspirations for top two finish took a massive hit after going down to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 42 runs at the Ekana Cricket stadium in Lucknow on Friday, May 23. This outcome has intensified the top two finish race as IPL 2025's league phase nears its conclusion. The match, initially slated for Bengaluru, was relocated to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium due to logistical concerns, a change that ultimately did not benefit RCB.
What RCB need to do to finish in top 2 in IPL 2025?
The defeat against SRH marked RCB's fourth defeat in the ongoing season. With only one league game remaining, RCB are precariously holding onto third place in the points table, having accumulated 17 points from 13 matches. They are currently tied on points with Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings but are behind them on net run rate.
The path forward for Rajat Patidar's team is clear but challenging as far as top two finish is concerned. If RCB manage to pick a win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 27 and other results align favorably, specifically, defeats for Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in their remaining matches, they could still claim the top spot. A second-place finish remains a possibility if RCB win and only one of either GT or PBKS manage a win in their final outings.
The outlook for RCB becomes less favorable if they fail to defeat LSG. A loss in Lucknow could see them drop to fourth place, especially if both PBKS and GT secure victories in their remaining matches. Specifically, if GT beats CSK on May 25 and PBKS wins both their remaining games against DC (May 24) and MI (May 26), an RCB defeat would push them out of the top two, leading to a more challenging path to the final.
Finishing in the top two guarantees a spot in Qualifier 1, scheduled for May 29 in Mullanpur, which gives teams two opportunities to reach the final. However, a third or fourth-place finish means entering the playoffs via the Eliminator on May 30, also in Mullanpur. The winner of the Eliminator would then face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on June 1. Meanwhile, the IPL 2025 final is scheduled to be played on June 3