How can RCB finish in top-2 in IPL 2025 table after loss to SRH? All scenarios explained

Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a heavy 42-run defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday in Lucknow, a result that has significantly tightened the playoff race heading into the final leg of IPL 2025’s league phase. The match, originally scheduled in Bengaluru, had been shifted to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium due to logistical reasons, but the change of venue did little to help RCB’s fortunes. Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (R) speaks with his teammate Phil Salt during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad(AFP)

This was RCB’s fourth defeat of the season, and with just one league game left, they now find themselves clinging to third place on the points table with 17 points from 13 matches. They are level on points with Punjab Kings, but trail Shreyas Iyer’s side on net run rate.

The equation is simple yet nerve-wracking for Rajat Patidar’s team. If RCB beat Lucknow Super Giants on May 27 and other results go their way – particularly defeats for Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in their remaining matches – they could still finish on top of the table. A second-place finish is also possible if RCB win and only one of GT or PBKS manage a win in their final outings.

What if RCB lose to LSG?

But the permutations grow less favourable if RCB fail to beat LSG. A loss in Lucknow could push them down to fourth, especially if both PBKS and GT secure victories in their final fixtures. Should GT beat CSK on May 25 and PBKS win both their remaining matches against DC (May 24) and MI (May 26), RCB’s defeat would see them slip out of the top two and face a longer path to the final.

Finishing in the top two guarantees a spot in Qualifier 1, scheduled for May 29 in Mullanpur, giving teams two shots at reaching the final. A third or fourth-place finish, however, means entering the first qualifier via the Eliminator on May 30, also in Mullanpur, with the winner then facing the loser of Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on June 1.

After a dominant start to the season, RCB now find themselves in a position where their fate for the top-2 doesn't rest in their own hands any longer. Come Tuesday, Patidar’s side will have no room for error and everything to play for.

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