The IPL 2022 mega auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that he is a big fan of Ishan Kishan, who can smash 70-80 runs off 30 balls. Moreover, he added that the RCB franchise would definitely like to target Ishan Kishan in the upcoming auction. Being an Indian top-order batsman, Kishan will be on the radar of many teams. That he can keep wickets might double his price as well.
"Ishan Kishan is someone I am a fan of. On his own capability, on any given day, he can smash 70-80 runs off 30 balls and win the match for his team. He will become a very big player in the time to come. If a player like him goes to any team, he should be given the responsibility of leadership. The way he gets older, with responsibilities he will become even bigger. He already captains Jharkhand. RCB would definitely target Ishan Kishan in the auction. It will be tough because many teams would go after him at the auction,"
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan singh said on his YouTube channel
The IPL 2022 mega auction is knocking at the door of us. A total of 590 players will be up for grabs as all 10 IPL franchises look to rebuild their squad almost from scratch. While some teams will have to put up an entire squad, others have retained a few of their previous players. Nonetheless, the task at the hand will be equally challenging for both. After all, this time there are 10 teams, and making the top four in the Playoffs, over the other six has become all the tougher.
RCB and PBKS reaching the IPL 2025 Final has given us another set of teams for the 18th season who will face each other in this high-stakes match. Check out how IPL Finals since 2008 looked like.
Since the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, it has delivered unforgettable final encounters. From Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings competing for the title in the first season, to Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru gearing up to win their first in IPL 2025, we have come a long way.
Here's how IPL Finals since 2008 looked like with the teams being a part of it:
The Ultimate Chronicle: IPL Finals since 2008
Visual representation of IPL Finals since 2008 and its contenders. Image | sportzpoint.com
Take a look into the two teams emerging every season to fight for the IPL title since 2008-2005:
Royal Challengers Bangalore reached the final by defeating Punjab Kings in the first qualifier of IPL 2025. Punjab Kings lost the qualifier but their chances of winning the title are not over.
The playoffs system was implemented for the first time in 2011, in which Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and Final match are played. If the team winning Qualifier 1 reaches the final, then the losing team gets another chance.
The team that wins the Eliminator plays against the team that loses Qualifier 1 and the team that wins this match plays the Final.
Do you know how many times the teams that lost the qualifiers have won the title? Let us take you through the history of the playoffs of the cash rich league.
How many times has the team that lost Qualifier 1 reached the final?
IPL 2024 runner-up team Sunrisers Hyderabad also made it to the finals by winning Qualifier-1 and then Qualifier-2. So far it has happened 11 times that the team that lost Qualifier-1 has reached the final. That is, it has won Qualifier-2. See which teams have reached the finals after losing Qualifier-1 in which season.
Which team won the IPL title after losing Qualifier 1?
Before Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians is the only team that has won the IPL trophy even after losing Qualifier 1. Out of 11 seasons, it has happened only twice that the team that lost the qualifier has won the title, while the remaining 9 times such teams have lost in the final.
2017:MI won the trophy by defeating RPS in the final.
2013:MI won the trophy by defeating CSK in the final
Punjab Kings can become the second IPL team to win the title after losing Qualifier 1. On the other hand, Bangalore has reached the IPL 2025 finals earlier also after winning Qualifier 1 but had to face defeat. The good news is that out of 14 times, the teams that won Qualifier 1 have won the title 11 times.
RCB in IPL final: Seasons when RCB qualified for IPL finals
RCB qualified for the IPL final four times so far. They first reached the final in 2009 and then qualified for the IPL finals in 2011 and 2016 before reaching the final in 2025.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been one of the most popular franchises in IPL history with millions of followers around the globe. However, despite having many great players of the game playing for them, RCB have failed to win the IPL title till now.
In the 18 seasons of the tournament, they have reached the IPL final four times so far. They first reached the final in 2009 and then qualified for the IPL finals once 2011 and another time in 2016, before reaching the final this season. Unfortunately, they have faced defeat on all three previous occasions.
2009 IPL final: Lost vs Deccan Chargers by 6 runs
After beating Chennai Super Kings in the semi-finals of the second season in 2009, RCB qualified for the final. In the final at Johannesburg, RCB bowled first, winning the toss. Their captain, Anil Kumble, was on fire with a spell of 16/4 in 4 overs and restricted Deccan Chargers to 143/6 only. Herschelle Gibbs was the best batter of Deccan with an unbeaten 53 from 48 balls.
But during the chase, RCB struggled from the beginning and even with a good-looking 32 from Roelof van der Merwe, RCB fell 6 runs short of the total. Pragyan Ojha, with 28/3 in 4 overs, was the pick of the bowlers for Deccan in that final.
2011 IPL final: Heavy 58-run defeat against CSK
Two seasons later, RCB again reached the IPL final, this time under Daniel Vettori. RCB had finished at the top of the points table after the league stage, and despite losing the qualifier 1 against CSK, they qualified for the final after beating Mumbai Indians in the second eliminator.
In the final, RCB were asked to bowl first. CSK managed a huge total of 205 in the first inning, with the help of a 95 from Murali Vijay. Chris Gayle was the star with the ball for RCB with 34/2 in four overs.
During the chase, RCB crumbled, and except for Saurabh Tiwary's fighting unbeaten 42 from 34 balls, no one could get going. Virat Kohli also played a slow 32-ball 35 innings. In the end, RCB lost by 58 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin picked up three wickets, giving away just 16 runs in four overs, for CSK.
Among the three defeats in the final, this one is the most heartbreaking for RCB fans. After finishing second in the league stage, they defeated Gujarat Lions in the qualifier 1 to enter the final.
In the final, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to put runs on the board. David Warner scored a stunning 69 from 38 balls, and Ben Cutting, with an unbeaten 39 from 15 balls, took SRH to 208 in the first innings.
Unlike the two previous finals, RCB got off to a flyer during the chase. Chris Gayle smashed 76 from 38 balls while Kohli scored 54 from 35 balls, to finish with a record-breaking 973 run season.
With 67 needed from 8 overs and 8 wickets in hand, RCB struggled under pressure and eventually lost the game by 8 runs.
IPL 2025: Reached the final
RCB qualify for the IPL finals for the fourth time!
Will it be their lucky time this time in Ahmedabad?
RCB finished second in the group stage to set up a date with Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final. Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, and Yash Dayal did exceedingly well to restrict PBKS to 101 in the first inning.
Phil Salt played an incredible inning of unbeaten 56 from 27 balls to take RCB over the final in just 10 overs.
After weeks of intense competition, rivalry battles, strategic gameplays and dedication, the top four teams of IPL 2025 have emerged. The league stage concluded with PBKS, RCB, GT and MI earning their place in top four of points table.
But how exactly did they manage to reach there? Let's dive into their IPL 2025 playoffs journey.
Here is how each team reached top four:
1. Punjab Kings (19 pts)
Priyansh Arya celebrating his half century against MI in their last league stage match of IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
Throughout the season of IPL 2025, Punjab Kings showcased magnificent balance and team coordination. Their campaign has been brilliant with 9 wins in 14 matches.
Under the phenomenal captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS made an extraordinary comeback by qualifying for the playoffs after 11 years. Not only just qualification, but also dominantly secured the top position in the points table.
PBKS qualification was confirmed with a decisive victory by 10 runs over Rajasthan Royals on May 18. However, it was their dominant 7-wicket win over MI (on May 26), that sealed their top 2 finish.
PBKS have done a great job at keeping their NRR high at all points in the tournament. They also secured a historical win against KKR by defending thelowest ever IPL total, and marked their place in the game.
Here's how their journey looked throughout the 14 league stage matches:
vs GT: won by 11 runs. (PBKS 243/5 vs GT 232/5)
vs LSG: won by 8 wickets. (LSG 171/7 vs PBKS 177/2)
vs RR: lost by 50 runs. (RR 205/4 vs PBKS 155/9)
vs CSK: won by 18 runs. (PBKS 219/6 vs CSK 201/5)
vs SRH: lost by 8 wickets. (PBKS 245/6 vs SRH 247/2)
vs KKR: won by 16 runs. (PBKS 111 vs KKR 95)
vs RCB: won by 5 wickets. (RCB 95/9 in 14 ovs vs PBKS 98/5 in 12.1 ovs - rain-affected 14-over game)
vs RCB: lost by 7 wickets. (PBKS 157/6 vs RCB 159/3)
vs KKR: No Result (Rain)
vs CSK: won by 4 wickets. (CSK 190 vs PBKS 194/6)
vs LSG: won by 37 runs. (PBKS 236/5 vs LSG 199/7)
vs RR: won by 10 runs. (PBKS 219/5 vs RR 209/7)
vs DC: lost by 6 wickets. (PBKS 206/8 vs DC 208/4)
vs MI: won by 7 wickets. (MI 184/7 vs PBKS 187/3)
Sealing a Q1 spot in style 🤌
Captain Shreyas Iyer adds the finishing flair as #PBKS defeat #MI in Jaipur ❤
Jitesh Sharma celebrating his match-winning knock of 85* (33 balls) against LSG in their last league match. Image | BBC
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had an amazing journey in their IPL 2025 campaign. They ended their nine-year wait for a top-two finish with 9 victories in 14 matches, narrowly behind PBKS on NRR.
RCB displayed remarkable consistency and key performances from players like Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, and others. The team no longer seemed to depend on a single player and came out strong with equal efforts from each one of them.
RCB faced major alterations and shift in captaincy in the tournament. Under the captaincy of Jitesh Sharma (stand-in captain in place of Rajat Patidar), they secured a huge victory against LSG to secure their top-two finish. They chased down 227 runs, with the skipper scoring 85* off 33 balls and leading from the front.
RCB's season in the league stage ended with an historic achievement of being the first team in IPL history to win all the away matches. They won 7 away matches this year.
Here's how their journey looked throughout the 14 league stage matches:
vs KKR: won by 7 wickets. (KKR 174/8, RCB
vs CSK: won by 50 runs. (RCB 196/7, CSK 146/8)
vs GT: lost by 8 wickets. (RCB 169/8, GT 170/2)
vs MI: won by 12 runs. (RCB 221/5, MI 209/9)
vs DC: lost by 6 wickets. (RCB 163/7, DC 169/4)
vs RR: won by 9 wickets. (RR 173/4, RCB 175/1)
vs PBKS: lost by 5 wickets. (RCB 95/9 in 14 ovs, PBKS 98/5 in 12.1 ovs - rain-affected)
vs PBKS: won by 7 wickets. (PBKS 157/6, RCB 159/3)
vs RR: won by 11 runs. (RCB 205/5, RR 194/9)
vs DC: won by 6 wickets. (DC 162/8, RCB 165/4)
vs CSK: won by 2 runs. (RCB 213/5, CSK 211/5)
vs KKR: Match Abandoned (No Result)
vs SRH: lost by 42 runs. (SRH 231/6, RCB 189)
vs LSG: won by 6 wickets. (LSG 227/3, RCB 230/4)
They are pumped up & HOW 🥳@RCBTweets enter the 🔝 2️⃣ with momentum led by their charismatic skipper Jitesh Sharma 🔥
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan during their partnership of 205* runs against DC in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
Gujarat Titans continued their strong presence by securing the 3rd place in IPL 2025 points table. They ended the league stage with 18 points (9 wins out of 14 matches).
The standout individual performances from captain Shubman Gill, and players like Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler are the reason behind GT's success. Sudharsan is currently at the top of Orange Cap leaderboard with 674 runs in 14 matches, followed by Gill (649 runs in 14 matches).
This team has also dominated other charts of seasonal awards like: Sudharshan in top of most 4s of the season list, Prasidh Krishna (23 wkts) in second place, and Sai Kishore (17 wkts) in Purple Cap leaderboard, and so on.
They were a strong contender for a top-two finish, but their consecutive losses in the last two league games took that away.
MI celebrating their win against DC which secured their playoffs berth in IPL 2025. Image | Facebook
The five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, secured the 4th position in points table with 16 points (8 wins in 14 matches). After losing 4 out of first 5 games in the tournament, they made a surprising comeback this season and won seven of their subsequent eight matches.
Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, MI bounced back quickly with a complete new energy and mindset. They outperformed all their competition and secured their playoffs berth.
From having a disappointing start to becoming the comeback king of the season that every franchise feared, MI had a rollercoaster-like IPL 2025 season. They also have the best NRR (+1.142) among all the teams in points table.
Here's how their journey looked throughout the 14 league stage matches:
vs CSK: lost by 4 wickets. (MI: 155/9, CSK: 158/6)
vs GT: lost by 36 runs. (GT: 196/8, MI: 160/6)
vs KKR: won by 8 wickets. (KKR: 116, MI: 121/2)
vs LSG: lost by 12 runs. (LSG: 203/8, MI: 191/5)
vs RCB: lost by 12 runs. (RCB: 221/5, MI: 209/9)
vs DC: won by 12 runs. (DC: 193, MI: 205/5)
vs SRH: won by 4 wickets. (SRH: 162/5, MI: 166/6)
vs CSK: won by 9 wickets. (CSK: 176/5, MI: 177/1)
vs SRH: won by 7 wickets. (SRH: 143/8, MI: 146/3)
vs LSG: won by 54 runs. (MI: 215/7, LSG: 161)
vs RR: won by 100 runs. (RR: 117, MI: 217/2)
vs GT: lost by 3 wickets (D/L Method). (MI: 155/8, GT: 147/7)
vs DC: won by 59 runs. (MI: 180/5, DC: 121)
vs PBKS: lost by 7 wickets. (PBKS: 187/3, MI: 184/7)
Dominant victory ✅ Playoffs ✅
A dream outing for #MI in their last match at Wankhede this season as they secure a 59-run win over #DC 💙👏
Qualifier 1 loser vs Eliminator winner (venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad): The winning team will advance to Final. Losing side will be eliminated.
IPL 2025: RCB create a unique record that none has achieved in league's history
With the 6-wicket win over LSG in IPL 2025, RCB created history by becoming the first team in the history of IPL to win all its away matches in a season.
Royal Challengers Bangaluru ended the IPL 2025 league stage with a win by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets. This was RCB's 9th win in 14 matches and the team managed to secure its place in the top-2 with 19 points.
With this victory, RCB also created history by becoming the first team in the history of IPL to win all its away matches in a season.
In the league stage, all teams get a chance to play 14 matches in which 7 matches are played at home and 7 matches are played away from home. RCB's last match was against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow itself, due to being a neutral venue, this match was not counted as an away match.
KKR and MI managed to win 7 away matches
Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians managed to win 7 matches each in 2012, but at that time 16 matches were played in the league stage in which teams had to play 8 matches at home and the same number of matches away from home.
Most away wins in a IPL season
Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 7/7 (IPL 2025)
Mumbai Indians — 7/8 (IPL 2012)
Kolkata Knight Riders — 7/8 (IPL 2012)
Gujarat Titans — 6/7 (IPL 2023)
Delhi Daredevils — 6/8 (IPL 2012)
RCB recorded biggest run chase in its IPL history
With this victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru also registered the biggest run chase of their IPL career. Earlier, RCB had the record of chasing the highest score of 215 runs. This run chase is also the third biggest run chase in the history of IPL.
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