Just a week after playing in the IPL final for Rajasthan Royals, R Ashwin was back in the heat of Chennai turning up for his club side in the TNCA first division. Meanwhile, Ashwin played in the semifinals and finals where he led his club - MRC 'A' - to its maiden title on Friday.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy 2021-22: Mumbai creates history by defeating Uttarakhand

"The purpose of playing these games is to shift from 20 overs to this (red-ball) format. All these things are workload management. As you grow older, you play more and play smarter."

"I am trying to do that. I am enjoying my game. And I just want to go there (England) and take it as it comes. I feel I can contribute with the bat and bowl well. I want to keep ticking on my fitness and keep working."

Speaking to reporters, Ravichandran Ashwin said

Commenting on his club's side's title triumph, Ashwin said, "We are just at 1/10 now. The goal is to probably win more titles in the next 10 years. Winning titles do not happen overnight. But We have a vision; we had a goal."

"I believe I am giving my one percent by coming back and playing here. With our team, there has been a lot of hard work and also credit to (Guru) Kedar, R Srinivasan, and D Vasu and the management for the support," he added.

Speaking about the league, Ashwin said, "I wish the TNCA pushes the game to three or four days next year. Only if these quality players play back to back against each other, will there be more competition for places in TN."

Read Also: "Happy to contribute with bat and ball:" Sayan Shekhar Mondal after Bengal qualifies for the semis in Ranji Trophy 2021-22

 "If you are serious about playing good red-ball cricket, both our fast bowling and our (TN) batting against fast bowling needs to go up. I believe that we must be able to provide better wickets (for pacers). If we can play TNPL in Dindigul and Tirunelveli, we can do that for the first division games also. It will also spread the game in the districts and you are going to get fast bowlers." 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. And as the IPL 2025 is about to enter the Playoff stage, the level of competition goes significantly up.

The IPL Playoff is an intense phase of the tournament where players need to perform at their best. Thus, there’s constant pressure on batters and bowlers to give their 100 percent, as a tiny mistake can make or break the team’s campaign. Bowlers are under even more pressure as they are the ones who can help teams win the tournament.

Let's take a look at the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in IPL playoffs history.

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

Most Wickets in IPL Playoffs History

5. Harbhajan Singh | 17 Wickets

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has dismissed the batters 17 times in the IPL playoffs at an economy rate of 7.27. During his playing time in the IPL, he has 150 wickets under his name with a stellar economy of 7.08.

The veteran off-spinner has won IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

4. Ravindra Jadeja | 19 Wickets

Off-spinner Ravindra Jadeja has claimed 19 wickets in the IPL playoffs. He traps the bowler with his spin and is also quite handy with the bat. He has a brilliant average of 22.52 in 23 games. The tally includes an economy rate of 7.75.

Jadeja was part of Rajasthan Royal's title-winning side in the inaugural IPL season (2008). He also won the trophy in 2018, 2021, and 2023 with the Chennai Super Kings.

3. Mohit Sharma | 20 Wickets

Gujarat Titans pacer Mohit Sharma took 20 wickets in the IPL playoffs. He has been consistently providing breakthroughs when the team needed it most. Having represented CSK and GT in the playoffs, Mohit has taken 20 wickets from 10 games at 15.80. His tally includes an economy rate of 8.77 along with a fifer.

Mohit also played for the Gujarat Titans in the 2023 final.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin | 21 Wickets

With 21 wickets in the IPL playoffs, Ravichandran Ashwin has been a key bowler for Chennai Super Kings, delivering vital spin breakthroughs in pressure moments. Ashwin played for three franchises - CSK, Delhi Capitals, and RR - in the IPL playoffs.

Ashwin snapped up 21 wickets from 24 IPL playoff games at 30.23. Notably, Ashwin also has a maiden over in the playoffs. He won the title with CSK in 2010 and 2011. He bowled a match-winning spell (3/16) in the 2011 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

In IPL 2025, he has claimed seven wickets in the nine games he has featured in.

Also Read: Which team has qualified for IPL playoffs most times?

1. Dwayne Bravo | 28 Wickets

Former CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has taken the most wickets in the IPL playoffs, becoming a standout bowler for Chennai Super Kings. He was known for his death-over skills and crucial wickets in crunch situations. All-rounder Bravo was a mainstay seamer in Chennai Super Kings' pace attack for a decade.

Bravo starred in three of their title-winning campaigns (2011, 2018, and 2021). He also played the final with CSK in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019. Bravo, who also played for Gujarat Lions, took 28 wickets from 19 playoff matches at 18.21.

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

Barely a day after the Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2025 campaign ended, Jaiswal dropped a social media bombshell. "Whatever the future brings," Yashasvi Jasiwal's cryptic post after the Royals' end of IPL 2025 ignited a number of theories about his future with the franchise.

What exactly did he mean? What's next for the young star?

Yashasvi Jaiswal in IPL 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal was the key player and highest run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. The franchise retained him for ₹18 crore ahead of the tournament and which was totally worth it.

Jaiswal scored 559 runs in 14 matches, with 6 half-centuries to his name.

What went wrong for Jaiswal and RR this season?

Despite Jaiswal's individual brilliance with the bat, the team's campaign ended without a playoff berth due to lack of collective consistency as an unit. The youngest debutant, Vaibhav Suryavanshi's confidence with the bat, alongside Jaiswal, was also a notable aspect for RR.

However, the team only managed to win 4 matches out of 14 played.

Read Also: Top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history

The cryptic Instagram post

Jaiswal's initial cryptic post, "Whatever the future brings," immediately sparked rumours of his departure from the Rajasthan Royals after their iPL 2025 exit. However, he later edited the caption to minimize the narratives.

He quickly edited the caption to include gratitude for the Rajasthan Royals and clarify his "next challenge" was with team India. It was aimed to turn the potential exit hint into a forward-looking statement about his international career.

Here's the edited caption of Jaiswal's post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Yashasvi Jaiswal (@yashasvijaiswal28)

It says, "Thank you, Rajasthan Royals, for everything. Not the season we hoped for, but continue to be grateful for our journey together. On to the next challenge 🇮🇳 and whatever the future brings YBJ 64."

Read Also: India A's squad for the tour of England: Easwaran named captain, Karun Nair makes a return

Reaction and speculation from fans

Some talk about him leaving RR's side, some see his potential to join KKR for the next season. 

Here's what everyone has to say about this.

He edited the post but the auction is still long away, Jaiswal to KKR is still a high possibility given that Jaiswal wants captaincy!!#IPL2025 #YashasviJaiswal pic.twitter.com/d3LmDR5pvS

— Navneet 🚩 (@MSDian067) May 22, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal ? pic.twitter.com/gmOYkD928Q

— Shah (@Iamshah0000) May 21, 2025

Something isn’t right ? 👀#yashasvijaiswal #RajasthanRoyals pic.twitter.com/7exDBhK9z3

— Sanju Samson Fans Page (@SanjuSamsonFP) May 21, 2025

Beyond individual heroics, IPL 2025 delivered some game-changing partnerships. It is now time to celebrate those batting duos with equal amount of electrifying energy and passion for the game!

Check out the highest partnerships in IPL 2025 by runs so far, and relive how these pairs dominated with the bat.

1. Shubham Gill & Sai Sudharsan (205* runs) | Gujarat Titans 

Shubham Gill and Sai Sudharsan delivered an iconic batting partnership of 205* runs against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. This opening pair of Gujarat Titans left the opponent's home crowd stunned by chasing down 200+ target without losing a single wicket.

They are the first batting duo to cross the 200-run mark this season, and tops the chart for highest partnerships in IPL 2025.

Sudharsan scored a phenomenal 108* runs off 61 balls, whereas Gill scored an explosive 93* off 53 balls, hitting 7 huge sixes!

They have also crossed the 100-run mark in terms of batting partnership thrice this season.

Partnership stats:

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

2. Travis Head & Abhishek Sharma | Sunrisers Hyderabad

Another explosive opening pair of IPL, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, showcased their power-hitting skills against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025.

This partnership was shaped by the record-breaking 141 runs off just 55 balls from Abhishek Sharma's bat, along with a quick 66 off 37 balls from Head.

This pair have showcased a glimpse of such destructive partnership against LSG back in IPL 2024, and yet again proved how Sunrisers Hyderabad are blessed to have them!

Partnership stats:

Read Also: Best Celebrations of IPL 2025 so far: From Abhishek's papercut to Hasaranga's Pushpa move

3. Vaibhav Suryavanshi & Yashasvi Jaiswal (166 runs) | Rajasthan Royals

Yashasvi Jaiswal and the youngest debutant of IPL history, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, currently holds the 3rd position for highest partnerships in IPL 2025. They pulled of a partnership of 166 runs and secured the win for Rajasthan Royals.

In this match, Vaibhav scored his maiden century to become the youngest centurion in IPL. His knock of 101 runs from 38 balls was unbelievably good, accompanied by a classy 70 runs off 40 balls from Jaiswal.

Partnership stats:

Read Also: Exclusive: "Do not call him a 'baccha', he will play T20s for India in two years," says Bihar head coach after Vaibhav Suryavanshi's historical IPL ton

Other 100+ runs partnerships in IPL 2025

In a highly competitive tournament like IPL, every match counts. The pressure intensifies during playoffs and Eliminator is one such example of an high-pressure knockout match. 

From close defeats to disappointing ones, want to know which teams could not manage to survive this round the most times?

Here's the teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats.

Introduction of Eliminator in IPL

IPL's playoff format expanded in 2011 with introduction of Eliminator and Qualifier matches. The previous 3 seasons consisted of two semi-finals, involving the top 4 teams.

The introduction of Eliminator added another layer of excitement and intensity to the game ever since.

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

Teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats

Plenty of teams consistently made their ways to Eliminator by ending up in the 3rd or 4th place in league stage, but only few could make it to the next round.

We have 2 franchises with equal number of defeats in here.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (3 defeats)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are yet to have their fairytale ending in IPL. They appeared in Eliminator 5 times and lost thrice out of them, which is most number of defeats by a team in IPL Eliminator.

• IPL 2020: lost to SRH by 6 wickets
• IPL 2021: lost to KKR by 4 wickets
• IPL 2024: lost to RR by 4 wickets 

Sunrisers Hyderabad (3 defeats)

Sunrisers Hyderabad shares the joint position with RCB for having equal number of IPL Eliminator defeats. They also played 5 Eliminator matches, and lost 3 out of them.

• IPL 2013: lost to RR by 4 wickets 
• IPL 2017: lost to KKR by 7 wickets 
• IPL 2019: lost to DC by 2 wickets

Read Also: Highest individual scores by players in IPL playoffs

Other teams with more than one defeat in IPL Eliminator