CSK are now at risk of missing out on playoff contention after dropping five of six home games and failing to create power hitting options at MA Chidambaram Stadium. They were made to pay dearly for slow starts and lack of power hitting options by an efficient Punjab attack at MA Chidambaram Stadium. This slip has also impacted the punjab kings vs chennai super kings standings, making the playoff race even tighter.
Khaleel takes the first wicket with an inswinging delivery that caught Priyansh Arya off guard and veered in.
1. Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings under Shreyas Iyer have seen their season turn around thanks to some timely victories, now only two points behind Delhi Capitals for fourth place and making their playoff hopes increasingly likely.
Punjab’s batting-heavy line-up is unquestionably an asset, yet their bowling has proven a weakness this year. After suffering in the auctions, their bowling rotation struggled due to lack of preparation time and Yuzvendra Chahal was quickly poached away from them by Mumbai Indians.
At first, their fortunes had been dismal until they hired Ricky Ponting as coach and Shreyas Iyer as captain. Meanwhile, uncapped players such as Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh proved instrumental to their rise and helped create one of only eight IPL teams ever to score eight 200-plus totals in one season!
Punjab have relied heavily on their uncapped quartet to power their batting, but it has been their unheralded middle order that has been instrumental to their success. David Miller’s impressive innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have sent the team into orbit.
Punjab Kings have excelled this IPL 2025 by their ability to adapt as the season unfolds. They have used six different opening combinations without losing a game; furthermore, their fielding percentage ranks the best of any team in IPL 2025 which showcases their commitment to keeping wickets intact.
Punjab Kings have an arsenal of pacers – Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett and Trent Boult – as well as leg-spinner Harpreet Brar – that they can deploy together against Royal Challengers Bangalore’s right-handed heavy batting lineup and reduce the run rate. Contrary to other teams’ tactics this season, Punjab Kings’ strategy of playing two spinners together has worked effectively and helped keep them ahead of competition for a top four finish and away from relegation battles in IPL 2025.
2. Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai and Chennai are India’s two premier metropolises, and have long held fierce rivalries when it comes to Indian cricket. Over the years, both teams have played some memorable IPL matches–four finals included–which has resulted in fierce rivalries for supremacy on both sides. Now, with IPL 5 set to kick off on April 5, there’s much at stake for both sides in terms of pride.
CSK had an incredible comeback following their 2018 auction and once again earned the IPL title with ease. Their dominance continued through league stage and playoff matches; with Mahendra Singh Dhoni winning most matches for CSK once more.
CSK was led by Dhoni’s brilliant batting performance during their title defense this season. His 600+ run total was instrumental to their title victory. Additionally, Deepak Chahar became an essential member after being picked up at auction, adding new depth and dimension to their bowling with his slow dipping yorkers and more.
Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja also played key roles in CSK’s success; Curran made an emphatic start with an innings of 88 off 47 deliveries against Punjab while Jadeja dominated with his ball during death overs.
CSK had an equally strong batting order, highlighted by Matthew Hayden’s blistering 46-ball 81 and Suresh Raina’s fifty. Dhoni also chipped in 16 balls at 30 and helped add another total tally for CSK.
Mumbai batsmen proved too powerful for CSK as they won by nine wickets. It marked the first time in IPL history that CSK had lost at home against Mumbai.
Although their struggles continued in 2025, the Super Kings managed to qualify for the Playoffs by finishing second in their league table – an amazing turnaround from when they finished 2nd from last in previous season! It marked a remarkable comeback after finishing second from bottom.
3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bangalore have had an exceptional season under Rajat Patidar’s guidance, winning all their away matches in IPL 2019. In the final, RCB held off all odds to claim their first title 18 years after IPL began, rewarding lodestar Virat Kohli’s faith and avenging their 2021 defeat with victory – notching their fifth championship triumph! They also surged past opponents late in the season to climb higher up the table before their opponents. Next season will no doubt bring another opportunity.
RCB defeated Lucknow Super Giants to ensure a place in the playoffs and finish second in league play with 19 points, trailing Punjab Kings only on net run rate. They will meet Punjab again in Qualifier 1, while Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians face each other off in Eliminator 2.
On Thursday, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face an uphill struggle when they play Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Both sides have met numerous times throughout IPL history and most recently witnessed PBKS dent CSK’s playoff hopes with an emphatic four-wicket win at Chepauk courtesy of Yuzvendra Chahal’s three wicket hat-trick and Shreyas Iyer’s brilliant 72 not only from their side, but from all over.
4. Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals have had an inconsistent start to the season and face an uphill climb if they hope to qualify for one of the top four positions. At present they stand eighth on the table with six points from nine matches played so far; victory in their next match against Gujarat Titans would help reach 12 points required to make the playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals have never won an IPL title, yet have reached five playoffs over eight seasons of competition. Their stellar captains include Shane Warne and Rahul Dravid while current skipper Jos Buttler has led them superbly this year.
The Royals have struggled to gain momentum thus far in this tournament and lost several close games, suffering an upset Super Over loss to Delhi Capitals and two-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants respectively. But thanks to three consecutive home wins over the past week they’re back in contention for playoff spot!
Rajasthan have made significant changes this season and several players, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have stood out. Sooryavanshi particularly has excelled with the bat; one highlight being his 35-ball century against Mumbai Indians.
Jaiswal and Parag have been the cornerstones of Rajasthan, yet their inconsistency has proven problematic for the Royals this season. Shaun Marsh has been impressive, while their overseas signings have let down.
The Royals must win three matches remaining to maintain any hope of making the top four. But even then, their success may depend on net run rate and other teams’ results in other matches; specifically RCB, MI and DC failing to reach 14 points and pass them in final standings.
Team Sports Khabar