DC IPL 2025 Playoff qualification scenario: Remaining matches and points needed for Delhi Capitals to reach top four

Delhi Capitals (DC) lost their second game in succession, this time to Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025 game on Tuesday. Axar Patel and his side lost by 14 runs while chasing a massive 205 runs to win the game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It was KKR who were put into bat first after DC skipper Patel won the toss and scored 204 runs on the board. 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi led the scoring with his 44 off 32 balls, and Rinku Singh played the perfect foil with 36 off just 25 balls. Mitchell Starc was the best bowler for the home team, scoring three wickets, while Axar and Vipraj Nigam picked up two wickets each. In reply, DC could score just 190 runs for the loss of nine wickets from their 20 overs. 

Faf du Plessis was the best batter for DC with 62, which came off 45 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Axar Patel scored 43 runs with an injured left hand and added 76 key runs for the fifth wicket with the South African veteran. Sunil Narine changed the game with the wickets of Axar and Tristan Stubbs in a space of three balls to turn the tide. 

Here is how Delhi Capitals can qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs

With this loss to KKR on Tuesday night, DC now face a huge task of making it to the playoffs with four games left to play. Delhi has played 10 games with 12 points and their run-rate is now +0.362. At this stage of the tournament, they are fourth in the table. If Punjab Kings defeats Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, then DC will slide to fifth in the table since PBKS will move to 13 points from 10 games. 

Matches left for Delhi Capitals :

Vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Away – 5th May 2025

Vs Punjab Kings – Away – 8th May 2025

Vs Gujarat Titans- Home – 11th May 2025

Vs Mumbai Indians – Away – 15th May 2025

Likely scenario for Delhi to qualify 

Win all four games – total points – 20 – qualification in top two guaranteed

Win three games out of four – total points -18 – qualification as one of the top four confirmed

Win two games out of four – total points -16 – RCB and MI to lose a minimum of two games, GT and PBKS to lose at least three games from their final matches left in the season. 

Win just one game out of four – total points – 14- DC will need Gujarat and Punjab to lose at least four games. This also brings LSG into the equation, which will mean that DC will hope that Lucknow loses at least three matches from their last four games of the season. 

Lose all four games – total points -12 – Qualification gets impossible as DC will have to hope that each team in the top three (RCB,MI,GT) as well as PBKS and LSG, suffer a spate of losses.