In 2007, BCCI decided to start a Cricket Premier League with cricketers from different international teams playing together. Hence, the Indian Premier League was established in 2008. 8 teams happened to play in IPL and the names of the teams are based on different Indian cities. Now, 10 teams play in the IPL and fight for the top four spots to lift the title.
The popularity of IPL is incomparable and exceptional. Many leagues throughout the world come and go but the name and fame of IPL top the list. IPL is a revolutionary concept of cricket that helps young cricketers and makes qualifying for the national team easier. Every year a few youngsters perform exceptionally in the IPL and book tickets for the national team. It doesn't matter if the player is coming from the IPL winners team or not, all that matters is their performances on the field.
The 16th season of the IPL is going on right now and the playoffs are set to be played from 21st May. So, it's time we look at the list of all Teams that Qualified for the IPL Playoffs from 2008 to 2024.
Foreign players asked to return to their country as IPL 2025 postponed for a week due to India-Pakistan tension
If the IPL 2025 resumes at the end of May, most of the foreign players will be able to return. The teams believe so. If these matches are played after May 25, it will be difficult for the players to return.
Due to the increasing conflict between India and Pakistan, BCCI has postponed the IPL 2025 for a week. BCCI gave this information on Friday. The board said that it has taken this decision keeping in mind the concerns of the players and the sentiments of the fans. The new schedule of IPL will be released depending on the situation.
At the same time, according to media reports, all foreign players have been asked to return to their country. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia and South Africa Cricket Board have expressed concern over their players. There are still 12 league matches and 4 playoff matches left in IPL 2025. The final of the tournament was to be held on 25 May.
It is believed that India's tour of Bangladesh in August will be cancelled. The Asia Cup to be held in September will also be postponed. The remaining matches of IPL can be held in India in their place.
It is difficult for BCCI to bring back foreign players
The biggest challenge for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in resuming the IPL in May is to bring back foreign players. As soon as the IPL was announced to be postponed for a week, most of the foreign players returned to their respective countries. The remaining players will leave India by Saturday.
It will be interesting to see how BCCI brings back the foreign players and restarts the tournament. Because without them, it will be difficult to organize matches.
Players will start playing for the country
If the IPL resumes at the end of May, most of the foreign players will be able to return. The teams believe so. If these matches are played after May 25, it will be difficult for the players to return. The biggest reason for this is that many players will be playing for their national team then.
The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) is also scheduled to be held between the Australia and the South Africa at Lord's from June 11.
Starting the tournament is not easy
BCCI has kept all three grounds ready. Despite this, officials believe that it will not be easy to restart this competition now. All the teams were informed about this on Friday without any formal announcement. People from many teams are saying that all the remaining matches can be held at the end of the year.
Punjab-Delhi match had to be canceled midway
On the night of 8 May at around 8.30 pm, Pakistan attacked the borders of Jammu, Punjab and Rajasthan of India with missiles and drones. During this time, a match was being played between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. It had to be stopped midway.
Gujarat on top, 3 teams out of the playoffs race
By the time IPL 2025 was halted midway, 57 matches of the league stage had been completed. The 58th match was halted midway. After 57 matches, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore had the highest points in the points table with 16-16 points.
GT remained on top due to better run rate. Punjab was third, Mumbai fourth and Delhi fifth. Whereas Chennai, Rajasthan and Hyderabad teams were out of the playoff race.
When the tournament was stopped, 4 teams had 2-2 matches left. Whereas 6 teams including Gujarat and Bangalore had not played 3-3 matches. A match was to be played between Lucknow and Bangalore in Lucknow on Friday, but the tournament was stopped before that.
Virat Kohli is known for having the safest hands and currently holds the record for the most catches in IPL history with 117 in 263 matches. Get ready to find out the other top fielders and their catching records.
"Catches win matches" is a well-known proverb that is crucial in terms of cricket. Having exceptional fielders who would get to any extent to grab match-winning catches is a blessing for teams.
IPL has witnessed some unbelievably good fielding efforts from players across the globe. Here's the ones that stood out for their consistency, having the most catches in IPL history.
Virat Kohli (117 catches)
Virat Kohli takes a stunning catch against KKR in IPL 2018. Image | Facebook
Virat Kohli is one of the fittest athletes in the world and is also considered as an expectional fielder for India. He always lits up the stadium with his energy and agility while fielding for his team.
Kohli has taken a total of 117 catches in 263 matches so far, which is the highest in IPL history. He is barely seen missing or letting the ball go off his hand.
His contributions in aspect of taking catches remains hard to beat, and hopefully there are more to come in the upcoming matches in IPL for RCB.
Suresh Raina dives to take a precious catch against Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2014. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Suresh Raina's contribution in IPL goes beyond his batting performance. He has taken 109 catches in 205 matches for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions.
Raina ended his IPL journey in 2021 and still his second place in the list of most catches stays unbeaten. He is among the top Indian fielders who took some match-winning catches.
Ravindra Jadeja (108 catches)
Ravindra Jadeja taking a magnificent catch close to the boundary line against KKR in IPL 2021. Image | Facebook
Ravindra Jadeja is one name that everyone anticipates when it comes to the category of fielding and catching. His quick reflexes and fielding abilities made him one of the best fielders in the history of not only IPL, but also Indian cricket.
Jadeja has taken 108 catches in 251 matches for CSK, GL, KTK, and RR. He consistently worked towards taking important wickets for the team and saving boundaries when needed.
Jadeja also played a crucial role in CSK's success over the years.
Kieron Pollard (103 catches)
Kieron Pollard takes a one-handed catch to dismiss Shreyas Iyer in a match against Delhi in IPL 2019. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Kieron Pollardhas served as a fielding pillar for Mumbai Indians throughout his IPL career. He often changed the course of the game in favour of his team by taking difficult catches.
Pollard has taken 103 catches in 189 matches for MI, and some of them were too good to be true! His athleticism proved to be beneficial everytime he is on field, specially near the boundary.
Rohit Sharma takes a mid-air catch to dismiss Suresh Raina in IPL 2017. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Rohit Sharma is another Indian player having a catch count of more than hundred in IPL. He has taken 103 catches in 267 matches for MI and DCH. He has proved to be a dependable fielder for his team throughout.
Rohit's game awareness and experience played a crucial role in his fielding, which also aligned with the field setup and his captaincy. He is the 5th player to have 100+ catches in IPL history.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's breathtaking 13-ball half century stands strong at the top of the table. Get ready to be thrilled as we dive into the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.
Some IPL innings leave you speechless. The talented players in this tournament have taken the stage to another level with their explosive batting over the years.
Check out the entire article to know some names that will definitely shock you.
10. Suresh Raina (2014) | 16 balls
Suresh Raina during his half-century knock off 16 balls against Punjab. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Suresh Raina is one of the players to score the fastest half-century in the early seasons of IPL. He took only 16 balls to reach his fifty, making it look super easy for the fans.
Raina was the opening batter for CSK and scored this in a match against PBKS in IPL 2024. The endless boundaries that came off his bat in this inning is hard to forget!
Jake Fraser-McGurk celebrating his 15-balls half century against SRH in IPL 2024. Image | NDTV
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, stunned the spectators with his back-to-back fastest fifties in 2 matches. He scored both the fifties off 15 balls which is quite astonishing as it was his debut season.
McGurk’s consecutive fifties secured both the 9th and 8th position in top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.
He proved to be highly impactful for DC and these half centuries against MI and SRH made him more impressive. Moreover, he smashed 330 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate above 200.
Nicholas Pooran's iconic celebration after his fastest half century against RCB in IPL 2023. Image | BBC
The West Indies power-hitter, Nicholas Pooran, put up a shower of boundaries during his fastest fifty of IPL career from just 15 balls. He scored 62 runs (off 19 balls) in his knock, hitting 7 sixes and 4 fours.
Pooran had a strike rate of 326.32 which says a lot about the kind of mindset and form he was in during the match of LSG vs RCB.
6. Sunil Narine (2017) | 15 balls
Sunil Narine celebrates his fastest fifty against RCB in IPL 2017. Image | Hindustan Times
This superstar from the West Indies has never failed to amaze us, be it with the ball or bat. Sunil Narine showcased his exceptional batting skills with this 15-ball half century in IPL 2017.
Narine has played several crucial knocks for KKR in the history of IPL, but with this one, he proved how he is equally capable with the bat and can do wonders.
5. Yusuf Pathan (2014) | 15 balls
Yusuf Pathan after his fastest fifty off 15 balls against SRH. Image | Ani News
Yusuf Pathan scored a sensational fifty against SRH off 15 balls in IPL 2014. He single-handedly took the game home for KKR with his 72 runs off just 22 balls in this inning, with a strike rate above 300.
It shows that KKR indeed had some fearless power-hitters in their team throughout IPL history.
Romario Shepherd hitting the ball hard for a six during the match of RCB vs CSK in IPL 2025. Image | OneCricket
Romario Shepherd became the only batter in IPL 2025 to score a fifty so fast that could make its way to the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL. He helped RCB reach a 200+ total during the first inning against CSK, which was enough to be a defendable total.
Shepherd hit 6 sixes and 4 fours to score 53* off 14 balls. He was also given player of the match award for his spectacular knock.
3. Pat Cummins (2022) | 14 balls
Pat Cummins celebrating his fastest 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. Image | Pinterest
Here comes a surprising half-century from the Australian all-rounder, Pat Cummins, who scored 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. He helped to seal the victory for his team against MI by 5 wickets (24 balls left).
Cummins unveiled his boundary-hitting capabilities with 4 fours and 6 sixes, leaving the fans shocked. It is considered to be one of the finest knocks in IPL where he truly showcased his batting skills when needed.
2. KL Rahul (2018) | 14 balls
KL Rahul celebrates his heroic fifty in just 14 balls against DC. Image | Instagram
KL Rahul, who is now known for his calm and composed batting style, holds the second position in the list of top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history. Quite shocking, isn't it?
This was back in IPL 2018 when Rahul showed no mercy to the bowlers of Delhi Capitals with his magnificent fifty off just 14 balls.
He was the opening batter of PBKS, who kept the fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the inning.
Yashasvi Jaiswal during his record-breaking fastest fifty in the history of IPL. Image | Pinterest
An all-time shocker of an innings from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which remains unmatched till date! He scored fifty off 13 balls, making it the fastest half-century in IPL history.
Jaiswal scored a total of 98 runs (from 47 balls) in this match against KKR and led Rajasthan Royals to victory. He hit the ball out of the boundary line in every direction possible, and was barely seen running between the wickets.
This performance goes down the history of unbelievable knocks in IPL.
A sinking tale of playoffs: Can LSG make it to the top 4 in IPL 2025?
Currently in 7th position with 10 points, LGS's playoff hopes are indeed a sinking tale. Their struggle to build momentum left the fans with one BIG question; can LSG make it to the top 4 in IPL 2025?
After a promising start, Lucknow Super Giants' 2025 IPL campaign started to sink, leaving slim chances for playoff qualification.
Find out what went wrong and everyone's answer to the ultimate question: Can LSG make it to the top 4 in IPL 2025?
LSG in IPL 2025 so far
Nicholas Pooran during his 61 runs off 38 balls against GT in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
LSG won 5 matches out of 11 played so far, with a poor net run rate of -0.469 and 10 points. They had a decent start to the tournament with players like Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi stepping out for the team.
They struggled to build momentum later on in the tournament, which led them to just 1 victory in their last 5 matches.
Net Run Rate (NRR): -0.469, which is the worst among the top seven teams
What exactly went wrong?
Rishabh Pant after his dismissal in their crushing defeat by 37 runs against PBKS. Image | Facebook
The following factors significantly disrupted LSG's gameplay, which resulted in their miserable position for the playoffs:
Rishabh Pant's poor form: Captain Rishabh Pant is having a disappointing season with the bat, which has practically crushed the team's backbone. He managed to score only 128 runs in 11 innings with a strike rate below 100.
Inconsistent top-order: The opening pair, despite having good individual performances, haven't consistently fired together.
Middle-order Reliance: Players like Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad have shown brilliance in some matches, but they weren't enough to carry the team forward after their regular collapse of top order.
Bowling Inconsistencies: LSG's bowling attack has failed with their execution in matches, and was seen struggling to contain the batters in the death overs.
Poor Fielding: They dropped catches at crucial times in the game, which cost them heavily. Additionally, the players could have saved more runs with more on-field efforts.
Playoff scenario and hopes for a miraculous comeback
LSG after their disappointing defeat against MI by 54 runs in IPL. Image | Pinterest
LSG currently has a huge burden of net run rate, which can have a damaging impact even if they win their 3 remaining matches in IPL 2025. They can reach a maximum of 16 points to end the group stage.
In IPL, ending with 16 points would promise a place in the top 4, but the scenario for LSG is different this year. Additionally, they will also need other factors to be in their favour.
Factors and mathematical possibilities
The chances are slim, but here's what they need to consider for qualification:
Last 3 hurdles: They have 3 remaining matches to play with RCB (9th May), GT (14th May), and SRH (18th May).
Wins required: LSG must win all three matches with huge margins to make their NRR better.
Reliance on otherteams: They will need to depend on other teams to lose which will be beneficial for them in case of tie-breakers of same points. The team having a better NRR will eventually qualify.
Elimination Scenario: LSG will be eliminated from IPL 2025 playoff contention if they lose a single match. They will also lose their chances of being in the top-4 if rain washes away any of their matches.
KKR to wear special kit at training before CSK game, dedicated to their ‘Shahoshi Rani’ initiative
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will wear a special practice jersey, dedicated to their ‘Shahoshi Rani’ initiative, before the KKR vs CSK game tomorrow at Eden Gardens.
As part of their continued commitment to empowering the community and celebrating everyday heroes, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to bring their Shahoshi Rani initiative to the ongoing IPL 2025 season. This unique initiative honours women who have shown exceptional bravery, resilience, and determination in the face of adversity.
These Shahoshi Ranis will be at the heart of KKR’s message of celebrating strength, inspiring change, and fostering inclusivity in sport when the defending champions take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Eden Gardens on May 7.
As part of the campaign, 40 Shahoshi Ranis will be present at the KKR practice session, having the opportunity to watch the team train, interact with the players and coaching staff, and spend time with franchise co-owner Juhi Chawla, who will also be present to engage with these remarkable women.
Image | KKR
To further amplify the initiative beyond the cricket field, KKR’s practice jerseys ahead of their match against CSK will prominently carry the Shahoshi Rani logo on the back. As a personal gesture of recognition, each player and member of the support staff will also don the names of each Shahoshi Rani beneath the logo, symbolising a bond between the team and the women they are honouring.
In addition, the team will be filming select moments from the practice session, capturing the inspiring interactions between the Shahoshi Ranis and the players. These stories will be shared across digital platforms to spotlight the strength and spirit these women represent, not just to the team, but to the global audience.
Image | KKR
Speaking about the initiative, Juhi Chawla, Co-Owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, said, "Shahoshi Rani is more than just a campaign, it’s a celebration of real courage. These women are an inspiration, and we are honoured to share our platform with them. We hope their stories move others as much as they’ve moved us."
The Shahoshi Rani initiative is one of several community-led efforts championed by KKR, reflecting their commitment to using sport as a tool to bring about a positive change, amplify voices that matter and inspire people beyond the cricket field.
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