Mumbai Indians extended their winning streak to 5-0 against Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League as they defeated them by six wickets on Tuesday in Vadodara. The WPL 2023 champions chased down Gujarat’s 121-run target with 5 wickets in hands and 23 balls to go in the match. 

MI made two changes in the playing XI

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and handed debut caps to two young India U-19 champions G Kamalini and Parunika Sisodia before electing to bowl first. Both Kamalini and Sisodia were part of the India team which won the U-19 Women’s World Cup earlier this year. Kamalini and Sisodia replaced Jintimani Kalita and Saika Ishaque in the playing XI for them. 

Meantime, Gujarat Giants had an unchanged XI from their win against UP Warriorz on Sunday. 

Making her debut in 𝑀𝐼 𝐵𝓁𝓊𝑒𝓈, it's #MumbaiIndians' 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 - G. Kamalini! 💙#AaliRe #TATAWPL #GGvMI pic.twitter.com/5mTfmzKbii

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2025

Great start for MI bowlers

Nat Sciver-Brunt struck early for Mumbai, dismissing Beth Mooney for 1 in the second over. In the next over Shabnim Ismail struck to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt for 4. Hayley Matthews then finished Gujarat’s top three by dismissing Dayalan Hemalatha on 9 in the next over.

At 16/3, Gujarat’s only hope was their captain Ashleigh Gardner who had struck back-to-back fifties in the first two games. But in the last over of the power play, Nat Sciver-Brunt got the big fish of Gardner on 10 and all Giants were in deep trouble. 

Harleen Deol (32 off 31) tried her best to assess the situation and take the inning as deep as she could. But, the Indian batter kept losing partners from the other end. Kashvee Gautam was the other batter who reached the 20-run mark but could only add that many runs on the board. 

Hayley Matthews finished with three wickets for 16 while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr took two wickets each to bundle out Giants for 120 in the first inning.

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Shaky start to MI's chase

During the chase Giants got rid of Hayley Matthews (17 off 19) in the fourth over through Tanuja Kanwar to start a possible comeback. Yastika Bhatia also could only add 8 for Mumbai. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur also got out in the second ball, after striking a boundary in the first ball against Kashvee Gautam.

But, just like the first match, Nat Sciver-Brunt was the saviour with the bat for Mumbai Indians. With Amelia Kerr (19 off 20), Nat built a 45-run partnership to take Mumbai’s total to 100. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt to rescue MI

Run scoring was not that easy on that wicket but Nat Sciver-Brunt was like playing on a different surface all-together. The English all-rounder completed her second fifty of the season in 33 balls. Nat though could not finish the job as she dragged one down to the stumps from Priya Mishra on 57 from 39 balls. 

S Sajana hit the winning runs for Mumbai as they chased down the total with 23 balls remaining in the inning. With this win, they have now moved up to the number two position on the points table. 

What did the captains say after the match?

 "We just lost wickets in clumps. We put a lot of onus on the top order to score a bulk of the runs but it wasn't to be (tonight)," Gardner said in the post-match presentation. 

"Whatever we talked about in the team meetings, we executed. Really happy everything went according to our plans. The first six overs are very important. Our bowlers did a great job," Harmanpreet Kaur stated. 

Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians: Match Summary

𝐌𝐈 𝟓-𝟎 𝐆𝐆 🔥

Mumbai Indians extend their lead over Gujarat Giants over 5-0 after a stunning five wickets win.

Nat Sciver-Brunt with another fifty plus score for Mumbai Indians. #GGvsMI #GujaratGiants #WPL2025 #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/WDCBgxCOBB

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 18, 2025

Mumbai Indians are the fourth team to seal their playoffs spot in IPL 2025, defeating DC to get those concluding 2 points. As we move further in the tournament, the focus shifts from playoffs qualification to top 4 standings.

How can Mumbai Indians finish at the top of the points table? The calculation is pretty simple. Check them out.

Why Aim for Top 2?

The benefits of finishing in the top two in league stage are many.

• Double chance in Qualifiers: A sigh of relief as the top 2 teams will have double chances to reach the finals, playing Qualifier 1 & 2.
• Avoid Eliminator pressure: Finishing top 2 will provide the safety net and free them from knockout pressure in Eliminator, where a single bad performance can lead to elimination from the final race.

Read Also: IPL Playoffs: Teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats

How can MI finish inside top two?

• MI must win their final league stage game against PBKS (on 26 May) to keep their hopes for top 2 alive.
• PBKS need to lose another match to DC, which will restrict them from going beyond 17 points.
• RCB should lose both their remaining games (against LSG & SRH), which too will restrict them at 17 points. 

Here's how MI can be at top of the points table

If the scenarios mentioned above go in their favour, along with GT losing their last 2 games, MI will end at no. 1 in the table. Both GT and MI will have 18 points, and MI will be on top, given their NRR advantage.

Read Also: IPL Table toppers: IPL Playoffs teams from 2008 to 2025

Reasons why MI can't be on top two:

Rain can obstruct MI's way of reaching the top 2 in many ways.

• If the match between MI and PBKS gets washed out, they will end up with 17 points, making their chances slim.
• If the match between DC and PBKS also gets washed out, PBKS will go ahead with 18 points.
• If any of the last two games of RCB get washed out, they will also go ahead in terms of points.

With the IPL 2025 playoffs just around the corner, the tension is reaching its peak. Over the years, the Indian Premier League has given fans plenty of memorable moments full of surprises at the fag end of the group stage. Generally, the fans have to wait till the last over of the group stage to know who will qualify for the IPL Playoffs.

Sometimes, it even goes to the final ball as well, to decide the fourth team to qualify.

From teams that regularly reach the playoffs to underdogs who’ve shocked everyone, the path to the final four has always been full of drama. 

Let's take a look at the IPL Playoffs teams from 2008 to 2025.

Read Also | Most Wickets in IPL history

2008 | RR, KXIP, CSK, DD

2009 | DD, CSK, RCB, Deccan Chargers

2010 | MI, Deccan Chargers, CSK, RCB

Read Also | Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

2011 | RCB, CSK, MI, KKR 

Read Also | IPL records: Most consecutive away wins in IPL history

2012 | DD, KKR, MI, CSK

2013 | CSK, MI, RR, SRH

2014 | KXIP, KKR, CSK, MI

2015 | CSK, MI, RCB, RR 

2016 | Gujarat Lions, RCB, SRH, KKR

2017 | MI, RPSG, SRH, KKR

2018 | SRH, CSK, KKR, RR

Read Also | SRH's poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2025: Can they rise?

2019 | MI, CSK, DC, SRH

2020 | MI, DC, SRH, RCB

2021 | DC, CSK, RCB, KKR

2022 | GT, RR, LSG, RCB

2023 | GT, LSG, CSK, MI

2024 | KKR, SRH, RR, RCB

2025 | GT, RCB, PBKS, MI

Achieving consistent playoffs mark is a big flex for IPL franchises. Some teams have made their way to the playoffs so many times that now it feels weird when they don't qualify.

We are very close to the playoffs of IPL 2025, and some teams have already booked their berth, adding a number to their playoff appearance.

So which team has qualified for IPL playoffs most times? It is time to find out.

Chennai Super Kings (12 times)

Chennai Super Kings stands as the IPL playoffs King, having qualified 12 times in their 16 seasons. This unmatched legacy grows even stronger with their title winning history.

CSK also holds the record of reaching the IPL finals most number of times (10 times), and winning 5 out of them, in the years 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (10 times)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached the 10-time playoff qualification mark in IPL 2025. They were among the first three teams to qualify for the playoff this season, which made it their 10th qualification.

This side is yet to grab the title despite having qualified several times. It will be interesting to see if they can achieve that in this season itself.

Read Also: IPL Playoffs: Teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats

Mumbai Indians (10 times)

Mumbai Indians are another IPL powerhouse with exceptional playoffs record. They qualified for IPL playoffs 10 times and are also the five-time champions.

Their current position in IPL 2025 points table look pretty steady, and a win against DC would secure their spot in the playoffs, which obviously increases their count.

Can they make it to the playoffs for the 11th time? We will know soon.

Read Also: Suryavanshi touching Dhoni's feet: Here are 10 best moments of IPL 2025

Other teams with 5+ playoff qualification

3 teams have made their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs and only one team is yet to be decided. There is a fierce battle going on between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals for the remaining playoff spot. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have made a three new changes in their squad.

Mumbai has announced the replacement of three foreign players. The team has included Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson in the squad in place of Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch. These three foreign players of Mumbai Indians are going to join their respective national teams after playing the last league match. In such a situation, the franchise had no other option but to bring their replacements.

Also Read: Can Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan break Kohli's record of most IPL runs in a single season?

Three replacement for MI

Mumbai Indians have included England's experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow in the team as a replacement for Will Jacks for Rs 5.25 crore. Bairstow has had good experience in IPL and is considered an aggressive batsman in the T20 format. His presence is expected to strengthen the top order batting of Mumbai Indians. 

At the same time, English fast bowler Richard Gleeson has been included in the team in place of Ryan Rickelton. Gleeson has been added to Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore. He has been signed by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore. Gleeson's fast pace and ability to bowl yorkers in the death overs can prove to be important for the team.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Charith Asalanka has been included in the squad in place of Corbin Bosch for Rs 75 lakh. Asalanka can not only bat aggressively but can also give options to the team with his part-time off-spin bowling.

Also Read: IPL 2025 Playoffs Race: Who Will Claim the Final Spot?

IPL 2025 | Playoffs scenario

Mumbai Indians are currently in the playoff race. If the team qualifies for the next round, then these three new replacement players will be available for the team from the playoff matches. This will help the team to create balance and fill the gap of foreign players.

It is worth noting that Mumbai Indians have 2 matches left in the league stage. In one match, the team will face Delhi Capitals, while in its last league stage match, it will face the challenge of Punjab Kings. Punjab has already made its place in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

As the IPL 2025 season nears its climax on May 19, 2025, the playoff picture is almost complete. Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Punjab Kings have secured their spots in the top four, leaving one final slot up for grabs.

The race for the fourth position is heating up, with Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) battling it out for that one position.

Read Also | IPL Table toppers: IPL Playoffs teams from 2008 to 2024

Current Standings

• Mumbai Indians: 14 points from 12 games (NRR: 1.156)
• Delhi Capitals: 13 points from 12 games
• Lucknow Super Giants: 10 points from 11 games

Upcoming Fixtures

The outcome of the following matches will determine who claims the final playoff spot:

• MI vs. DC (May 21, 2025)
• MI vs. PBKS
• DC vs. PBKS
• LSG vs. SRH (May 19, 2025), GT, and RCB

Qualification Scenarios

Who Will Make It?

Mumbai Indians are currently favoured to clinch the final playoff spot, thanks to their higher points tally and strong net run rate.

The upcoming MI vs. DC clash on May 21 is being dubbed a virtual knockout, as the winner will gain a significant advantage. However, LSG’s three remaining games give them a slim chance to stage a dramatic comeback, provided they can upset strong teams like GT and RCB.