IPL play-offs – schedule & how to follow on the BBC

After 70 matches and more than nine weeks, the group stage of the Indian Premier League is over.

Four matches remain and there are four teams left battling to be crowned IPL champions in 2025.

Here’s everything you need to know about the play-offs, including how to follow on the BBC.

Punjab Kings, coached by legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting, are in the play-offs for the first time since 2014 having topped the table at the end of the group stage. They were runners-up in 2014 but are yet to win the IPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in the play-offs for the fifth time in the past six seasons. They are also yet to win the tournament, having finished as runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016. Andy Flower’s side finished second in the group stage.

Gujarat Titans only became an IPL franchise in 2022, but they won the tournament in their inaugural year and finished second in 2023. They are captained by new India Test skipper Shubman Gill and were third in the group stage.

Mumbai Indians are the joint-most successful team in IPL history, alongside Chennai Super Kings, with five titles. Their last success came in 2020 though, and they have only made the play-offs once in the past four years. Hardik Pandya’s side were fourth in the group stage.

The top two sides in the 10-team league phase – Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru – will have two chances to reach the final.

They face each other in Qualifier 1 with the winner reaching the final on 3 June.

Third and fourth – Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians – then meet in the Eliminator. The winner meets the loser of Qualifier 1 for the second place in the final.

Those sides need to win three games to be crowned champions.

The play-offs were due to take place in Hyderabad and Kolkata but have been moved to Punjab and Ahmedabad after the tournament paused and resumed following tensions between India and Pakistan.

Thursday, 29 May

Qualifier 1: Punjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru (15:00 BST)

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Punjab

Friday, 30 May

Eliminator: Gujarat Titans v Mumbai Indians (15:00 BST)

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Punjab

Sunday, 1 June

Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 v Winner of Eliminator (15:00 BST)

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Tuesday, 3 June

Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 v Winner of Qualifier 2 (15:00 BST)

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

It isn’t just the winner of the tournament that is still to be decided. The race to win the orange and purple caps for top run-scorer and wicket-taker are still very much alive.

Top run-scorer

1. Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans) – 679 runs

2. Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans) – 649

3. Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians) – 640

4. Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants) – 627

5. Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – 602

Marsh’s Lucknow Super Giants are out of the tournament so he won’t be able to add to his tally.

Top wicket-taker

1. Noor Ahmad (Chennai Super Kings) – 24 wickets

2. Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans) – 23

3. Trent Boult (Mumbai Indians) – 19

=4. Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings) – 18

CSK’s Noor Ahmad is also unable to add to his total so GT’s Krishna is in a strong position to win the purple cap for the first time.

There will be ball-by-ball commentary on all four play-off matches across the BBC Sport website and app.

The two Qualifiers and the final will also be available on BBC Sounds via BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3.

There will be live score updates on the website and app, alongside occasional text updates and post-match reports.

You can also keep up to date with the tournament across the BBC Cricket WhatsApp, external and Instagram, external accounts.