Ten teams are once again prepared to compete for the coveted gold in the two-month-long Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which is set to start on March 22. Legendary Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain and former South African captain AB de Villiers has identified the four teams he thinks would qualify for the playoffs this year.
For the IPL 2025 playoffs, De Villiers selected the Mumbai Indians (MI), RCB, Gujarat Titans (GT), and the reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He backed these teams to have a big effect on the competition by mentioning their talent and balance.
“I think Mumbai Indians can reach the playoffs. I definitely think RCB will also reach the playoffs this time. Because this time the team is in balance and then Gujarat Titans is also a contender for the playoffs. I think defending champion KKR will also be in the playoff race and can be successful in making its place in the playoffs. These are my four teams that can reach the playoffs.”
AB de Villiers
The fact that five-time IPL winner Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were left off of De Villiers’ prediction list was one of the main causes of contention. After losing a crucial match to RCB in the IPL 2024, CSK, under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, just missed out on a playoff berth. Despite acknowledging CSK’s power, AB De Villiers maintained his selections, arguing that the four clubs he selected had the best chance of winning.
“Yes, I have not kept CSK. It is a strong team, CSK fans may be disappointed, but I will go with these four teams only.”
AB de Villiers
On March 22, KKR will play RCB at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the tournament’s opening match. Hardik Pandya will captain the Mumbai Indians once more, but he will miss the first game because of a slow over-rate offense from the previous season. Suryakumar Yadav will start in his place. Shubman Gill will lead the Gujarat Titans going forward, and Ajinkya Rahane has been named the new captain of KKR after Shreyas Iyer was released. As they attempt to end their title drought, RCB has selected Rajat Patidar as their captain.
