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The IPL consists of 10 teams that play 14 games in the league stage. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs which happens over four games: Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Final. This structure rewards consistency while enabling thrilling fights back into the competition.
Qualifier 1: the top 2 teams from the league phase will meet here. The winner qualifies directly for the Final. The loser advances to Qualifier 2.
Eliminator: the teams that finished 3rd and 4th will meet here. The loser is eliminated from the tournament. The winner advances to Qualifier 2.
Qualifier 2: the loser of Qualifier 1 will play the winner of the Eliminator. The winner qualifies for the Final.
For instance, from previous IPL's like 2023, the Chennai Super Kings (1st place) and Gujarat Titans (2nd place) met in Qualifier 1. Gujarat Titans, after going down in the Qualifier 1 match played Mumbai Indians (winners of the Eliminator) in Qualifier 2 and won, advancing them to the Final where they would once again meet (and lose to) Chennai.
In the league stage, teams receive 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a tie or no-result. The top four teams are based on the total points obtained, with net run rate (NRR) as the tiebreaker. NRR - which measures how efficiently a team can score runs per over compared to conceding runs, it weighted towards dominant performances. For example, in 2022 Royal Challengers Bangalore missed the playoff qualification due to a low NRR compared to the Delhi Capitals, demonstrating the importance of NRR.
In case of a tie: superover is played and if that also ties then additional superovers are played until it results in the winner.
If a match is washed out and there is no result:
In Qualifier 1 or Eliminator, the higher qualifying team has the right to progress to the next stage.
In Qualifier 2 or the Final, the teams will share the trophy if no reserve day exists (although IPL has had reserve days in recent seasons for finals).
The format rewards teams with strong performances in the league stage, as teams that finish 1st and 2nd in the league have two chances to advance to the Final, while teams in 3rd and 4th place must win their way through twice. Reports has noted that this format generally looks after teams with multi-faceted and resilient teams, as in the case of Mumbai Indians (5-time champions), who usually apply their experience of high-pressure games to their advantage.
Also Check: IPL 2025 Playoff Schedule Update
