DC, Giants, and MI are competing for a direct spot in the final.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their title defense with a record chase against Gujarat Giants and a win over Delhi Capitals (DC). However, losing all four home games in Bengaluru has put their playoff hopes in danger.
RCB has four points from six matches and can reach a maximum of eight points by winning their remaining two games against UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians (MI). Giants and MI already have eight points, while DC has ten and is ahead of RCB. Despite this, RCB can still control their playoff destiny. DC has secured a playoff spot, and UP Warriorz are out of contention.
RCB’s Must-Win Situation
RCB’s chances to reach the WPL 2025 playoffs will be over if they lose to Warriorz on Saturday. If they win, they will need to watch the MI vs Giants game to understand the net run rate (NRR) they need to surpass to qualify. Giants currently have a better NRR than MI, and RCB plays their last match against MI, which could be an advantage.
RCB is significantly behind MI’s NRR. To overtake MI, RCB might need to win against MI by approximately 20 runs, assuming they beat UPW by ten runs and MI loses to Giants by a similar margin. Overhauling Giants’ NRR is more challenging; RCB would need to win their matches against UPW and MI by a combined margin of about 62 runs if Giants lose to MI by just ten runs.
Delhi Capitals and the Final Race
DC finished the league stage at the top with five wins, but their direct qualification to the final is not yet guaranteed. MI and Giants can still overtake them. MI can top the table by winning both of their remaining matches. Giants can surpass DC by defeating MI with a significant margin.
Giants need to win against MI by 17 runs or within 12 balls (if chasing 180) to have a better NRR than DC. MI is currently about 30 runs behind DC in NRR. If MI loses one of their two matches by ten runs, they would need to win the other match by around 40 runs to finish ahead of DC.
