Royal Challengers Bangalore fans felt relief after their first win of the campaign. They were struggling and struggling right from the start of the campaign but finally, they registered their victory, a much-needed victory they needed. Virat Kohli visited the RCB dressing room and somehow Bangalore showed the urgency and the energy which was needed to announce themselves in the WPL 2023. It is late but not too late as they still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Royal Challengers Bangalore won the hard-fought match by 5 wickets.

Read Also: Rishabh Pant's road to recovery: "Grateful for small things," says Pant

WPL 2023: UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Match Report

Bangalore won the toss & decided to bowl first. UP Warriorz lost two early wickets as Alyssa Healy, Devika Baidya & Tahila Mcgrath weren't able to contribute anything. Sophie Devine & Megan Schutt gave the brilliant start that RCB needed the most as they haven't started their last matches that well. Grace Harris was the best batter for UP Warriorz while everyone failed to help their team. Ellyse Perry removed the last threat they had and that was the in-form Grace Harris. She claimed Harris' wicket for 46 runs in 32 deliveries. Perry also claimed the wicket of Deepti Sharma who was trying to settle in with Grace Harris. Sophie Devine took 2 wickets while Perry got three crucial wickets. The UP Warriorz side returned to their dugout for just 135 runs under 19.3 overs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore also got a poor start as skipper Smriti Mandhana returned to the dugout for a duck. The poor run of form continues for her and she has to make a comeback in the next game. Sophie Devine started with positive intent but Grace Harris dismissed her from the crease. Ellyse Perry also failed to contribute with the bat as much as she did with the ball. The showstopper had to be Kanika Ahuja who went on to be the match-winner for them. Royal Challengers Bangalore were in a very bad situation from where Kanika Ahuja pulled them out. She made 46 runs in only 30 deliveries with 8 fours & a six. Richa Ghosh (31) didn't have to hit big shots but performed a crucial role for the team which was much needed for them. Royal Challengers Bangalore finally registered their first victory, a hard-fought victory, which will give them a huge boost before going against the WPL 2023 table toppers.

The 2025 IPL season has delivered a brutal reality check for Rishabh Pant. After being picked up by LSG for 27 crore, he turned out to be the most expensive flop of this season.

Can a player sustain an international career after such disappointing performance? Is Rishabh Pant's T20I career nearly over after a horrific IPL 2025?

Let's dive into the cold facts.

The disappointing IPL 2025 numbers 

Rishabh Pant was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants as the most expensive player in IPL history for ₹27 crore, which proved to be totally not worth it. He only managed to score 151 runs in 13 matches with an average of 13.73 and a strike rate barely crossing 107.

He is the lowest scorer among all the LSG batters in IPL 2025. Apart from batting performance, he also failed as a captain. The team only won 6 matches out of 13 and lost their playoffs berth under Pant's captaincy.

Pant's questionable descision-making, poor shot selections, and a complete lack of form did not justify the big price tag ahead in the auction.

Read Also: Expensive flops? Rishabh Pant and Venkatesh Iyer's IPL 2025 disappointments

Rishabh Pant stats in IPL 2025

• vs DC: 0 runs (6 balls)
• vs SRH: 15 runs (15 balls)
• vs PBKS: 2 runs (5 balls)
• vs MI: 2 runs (6 balls)
• vs KKR: 0 runs (0 balls)
• vs GT: 21 runs (18 balls)
• vs CSK: 63 runs (49 balls)
• vs RR: 3 runs (9 balls)
• vs DC: 0 runs (0 balls)
• vs MI: 4 runs (2 balls)
• vs PBKS: 18 runs (17 balls)
• vs SRH: 7 runs (6 balls)
• vs GT: 16* runs (6 balls)

The T20I context: India's current pool and future outlook

Rishabh Pant's position is now critically questionable as India's T20 squad selection prioritizes consistency in batting, high strike rates, and adaptable wicket-keeping.

The current pool of contenders are highly competitive and has the potential to outperform Pant.

Read Also: BCCI Central Contract 2025: Talking points from BCCI's contract announcement

The wicket-keeper batsman contenders

• KL Rahul: His current form in IPL 2025 is magnificent and he has consistently performed well for the team. Rahul's ability to anchor and accelerate has again brought him into T20I contention.
• Sanju Samson: Yet another prime contender with high experience and quality performance. He also holds the ability to blend well into the format.
• Dhruv Jurel: A promising young talent who also has the ability to make impactful finish for the team.
• Ishan Kishan: The pocket dynamo who started his IPL 2025 season with a phenomenal century, and gained his spot in BCCI's central contract (2025), is another strong contender.

Where Rishabh Pant fits (or doesn't fit):

Following the poor performance of Rishabh Pant, several known names have speculated about his mental state and his inability to deal pressure. The former Indian cricketer, Kris Srikkanth, also suggested that Pant should consider taking a break from his format.

Read Also: Most Player of the Match awards in T20I cricket history

The modern T20 format demands a lot of things that Pant is completely missing:

• Insufficient strike rate 
• Lack of clarity in shot-making
• Inability to convert build innings 
• Diminished reliability as wicketkeeper-batter
• No longer an unique left-handed power option 
• Difficulty handling run-rate pressure 

Pant is missing the "X-factor" that he once possessed. Therefore, unless his form significantly improves soon and makes a comeback, his T20 career is effectively over.

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

Breaking records is what IPL is all about and Virat Kohli's record of 973 runs in IPL 2016 is unmatched for 9 years. IPL 2025 can be the record-breaking year, as GT's opening pair is having an incredible season with the bat, shuffling the orange cap with every match.

As we are heading towards the end of the tournament, it will be a major thing to keep an eye on.

Can Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan break Kohli's record of most IPL runs in a single season? Or maybe it is truly unbreakable.

How big is Virat Kohli's 973-run record?

Virat Kohli set the batting standards up in IPL 2016 that everyone talks about till date. He scored 973 runs in 16 matches with an 80+ average.

He scored 4 centuries and 7 half-centuries for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, bagging the Orange cap in that season.

This is the phenomenal record of most runs in a single IPL season that no one could break since 2016.

Read Also: Most Runs in IPL History: Virat Kohli leading the charts

Shubman Gill aims for the TOP

The only player who ever came to Kohli's record is Shubman Gill, with his 890-run season in IPL 2023. He is having another successful one in IPL 2025 and has already surpassed the 600-run mark.

The way Gill is firing this season for Gujarat Titans, he might just break the record and get in top. He scored 601 runs in 12 matches with 6 half-centuries to his name so far.

Calculating the remaining target for Shubham Gill 

With potentially 5 innings left (2 league matches + playoffs), the race is heating up. This is subject to GT to lose Qualifier 1 and get an extra innings to go play for the IPL title.

• Required: 974-601 = 373 runs more (to break Kohli's record)
• Required Avg for next 5 innings: 74.6 runs per inning
• Required Avg if they get 4 innings to play: 93.25 runs per inning

Read Also: Most Fifty Plus Scores in IPL by an Opener Since Gill's Debut

Sai Sudharsan's rising form

Sai Sudharsan is currently the leading run-scorer in the race for Orange Cap in IPL 2025. He scored 617 runs in 12 matches, with 1 century and 5 fifties to his name.

This rising star has remarkable potential to with the kind of explosive form he has right now.

Calculating the remaining target for Sai Sudharsan

As for GT, Sudharsan also gets the same number of innings as Gill. It is either 2 league matches and 2 playoff matches, or a loss in Qualifier 1 to get an extra innings, making it 5 innings in total.

• Required: 974-617 = 357 runs more (to break Kohli's record)
• Required Avg for next 5 innings: 71.4 runs per inning
• Required Avg if they get 4 innings to play: 89.25 runs per inning

Read Also: Highest individual scores by players in IPL playoffs

A look at IPL 2025 Top 5 run-scorers

Virat Kohli stands at the top 5 race for orange cap in IPL 2025. The battle will be intense to see if someone finally breaks the mountain of runs.

Or will the king himself come closest to surpassing his own legacy?

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