It’s been a dramatic week of cricket at IPL 2025 — from unexpected outcomes and last-minute changes to super overs and nail-biting finishes, there’s been no shortage of excitement. But beyond the thrill of the games, it’s also been a reflective week. Now that we’re just past the halfway mark of the group stages, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of how the teams are shaping up — their strengths, their balance, and the options they have going forward. Based on current form and momentum, there are four teams that, in my view, are looking particularly strong and will be tough to keep out of those coveted final four playoff spots.
I will start with Gujarat Titans. I covered their game vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and they’ve had a solid week — including a strong win over Delhi Capitals. Jos Buttler led the charge with a superb 97, setting the tone for the victory.
What’s been particularly impressive is Sai Sudharsan’s form — it’s been nothing short of outstanding. Over the course of their eight matches so far, one of their top three batters has consistently stayed at the crease until the 17th or 18th over. That kind of reliability and stability at the top has been a huge factor in Gujarat’s success and is a key reason why they’re so well-placed on the points table right now.
I think it’s partly by design. Yes, their top three have been in exceptional form, but there’s also a clear strategy behind the way they’re playing. Their approach has been smart, tailored to suit the resources they have — and it’s paying off.
Different teams will naturally adopt different styles. Take Sunrisers Hyderabad, for example — you wouldn’t expect them to play a measured game up front. Their strength lies in being explosive right from the powerplay, playing with aggression and authority, and looking to dominate from the outset.
When I watch Gujarat, what stands out is their commitment to playing proper cricket shots. They’re incredibly disciplined during the powerplay — they don’t swing for the fences every ball. Instead, they rotate the strike smartly, pick their moments, and build pressure in a measured way.
The running between the wickets, especially between Sudharsan and Gill, is top-notch. It’s not just about boundaries — often, right after hitting a four, they follow it up with a sharp single. That ability to keep the scoreboard ticking is what makes their batting so effective and composed.
It might feel like a slightly old-school approach, but it’s proving to be highly effective for the kind of batting unit Gujarat has and the resources at their disposal. Having Buttler at No. 3 has been a game-changer — he’s been managing the middle overs with great control and maturity.
Overall, they come across as a side that’s extremely well-organised and disciplined. What impressed me even more was their performance against KKR. I thought both the bowlers and the batters were incredibly sharp — they read the conditions quickly and adapted their game plan accordingly. That level of game awareness is what sets them apart.
In fact, I’d say Gujarat read the conditions better than the home side, KKR. They quickly recognised that the pitch was on the slower side, offering some grip and assisting the bowlers with a bit of cut off the surface. Instead of forcing the pace, they built their innings smartly and worked their way to a competitive total — even without losing many wickets, they didn’t overreach. That kind of game intelligence was impressive.
Another big positive for them is Rashid Khan returning to form. That’s a massive boost, especially with pitches expected to get older and more spin-friendly as we move into the latter half of the group stage. His impact could be crucial going forward.
Sai Kishore has been outstanding, Siraj has delivered consistently, and Prasidh Krishna has been absolutely terrific. Collectively, they give the sense that Gujarat has most of their bases well covered. That said, they’re not entirely bulletproof.
One potential vulnerability lies in their top order. If they hit a rough patch where the top three fail to fire — especially during the powerplay — it could pose a real challenge. That phase will be a key test for them: how they respond when their primary run-getters don’t deliver up front.
So, if you’re a team facing Gujarat, your best shot is to go hard at the top three — throw everything you’ve got at them early on. Break that foundation, and you give yourself a real chance. Overall though, they’re in excellent shape heading into the second half of the tournament.
I’m a big fan of Mumbai, who are the second team to watch out for, and they’ve had a strong week. Their win over SRH was a significant result — a real statement moment. And while CSK may not be at their best right now, sitting at the bottom of the table, Mumbai’s win over them at home still felt pivotal. It might just be the turning point they needed as they build momentum.
Rohit Sharma returning to form was another huge positive. I thought he batted brilliantly — calm, composed, and in control. If he continues in this vein, Mumbai could be a real threat in the games to come.
Surya Kumar Yadav at No. 3 looks back to his dominant best, and with Tilak Varma also in good touch, Mumbai’s top order is looking strong and flexible. They’ve got depth and a range of options up front, which gives them a lot of stability.
One area they’ll need to manage carefully is the role of Will Jacks. At times, he feels like a bit of a floating piece — if an early wicket falls, he might come in; if not, he can seem a little surplus to requirements with the bat. How they use him going forward will be something to watch. That said, they’ve been smart about using him with the ball, like they did effectively against SRH. It showed good tactical awareness from the team management. Mumbai used his off-spin really smartly against SRH’s left-handers, which effectively restricted Mitchell Santner to just one over. It’s a testament to the variety they’ve got in their bowling attack — plenty of options and the flexibility to adapt based on the opposition.
Of course, Jasprit Bumrah returning is a huge boost for the entire dressing room. His presence alone lifts the side. That said, I’ll stick to my view that he should be given the new ball, at least one over up front, especially against a side like SRH. While the team prefers to hold him back for the middle overs, there’s a strong case for letting him set the tone right from the start.
The strategy seems to be to use Bumrah aggressively in the middle overs, which makes sense. But I still feel that, on occasion — particularly against sides like SRH — they could try opening with him for just one over in the powerplay to make an early breakthrough.
Overall, I believe Mumbai could go on a strong run and find themselves in a solid position in the coming weeks.
Delhi Capitals is the third team I see right now on way to the top four. They’ve been winning tight, scrappy games. Take that Super Over victory against Rajasthan Royals, for example. They’re managing to close out matches in crucial moments, which could prove valuable as the tournament progresses.
Winning tight games, especially those that could easily slip away, does wonders for a team’s confidence. It gives the dressing room a real boost. These are the kinds of victories that can make all the difference in the long run.
They’ve also made a change in the batting lineup, and it was probably inevitable. Jake Fraser-McGurk has been struggling to find any form and hasn’t been able to score runs. Despite that, their overall batting unit remains efficient and capable.
Abhishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma — the good thing about Delhi is that everyone’s contributing. It’s great because each player feels involved in the team’s success. However, one area where they could improve is in having a couple of players step up and make big, match-winning scores. While there have been plenty of starts — lots of 20s and 30s in recent games — they’re still missing those key knocks that truly set them apart.
Rahul seems to be finding his form again, and Nair has been a good addition, with everyone chipping in. But as a batting unit, I’m sure they’ll be looking for more substantial contributions to really make an impact, especially in games like the one against Gujarat, where they just fell short.
While Mitchell Starc has been a bit quieter in the last game or two, Kuldeep Yadav has continued to be excellent. Overall, Delhi has an outstanding bowling attack. I really like their bowling unit comprising of Mukesh, Mohit, Axar, Nigam, Kuldeep, and Starc.
I’ve always highlighted Starc and Kuldeep from the start. They’re both world-class bowlers, and honestly, they’d be in my World XI any day.
RCB is my fourth pick. They had a bit of a rollercoaster with a loss to Punjab Kings on Friday and a win over them on Sunday. However, their top order looks solid. Phil Salt hasn’t been consistent, but when he does fire, it’s explosive. Virat Kohli made a key contribution with runs in the last game, and Padikkal has also been in good form. The Kohli-Salt combination at the top seems to be clicking.
What stands out for me this year is that RCB seems to have better balance in their batting lineup. It feels like they’ve got more depth and stability overall.
There’s a more balanced feel to both their batting and bowling line-ups this year. Tim David has made a couple of crucial contributions, which has added to the overall strength of the team. I really think they’ve got something going here.
RCB has the potential to go on a strong run. Of course, playing at home has been a bit challenging for them, and that will be their next hurdle to overcome. But as always, I believe the key to winning tournaments lies in the strength of the bowling unit.
With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, and Suyash Sharma, RCB has a solid attack. However, there could be some questions around their spin options as the tournament progresses. That said, overall, I’d say they’re quite well-balanced.
Looking ahead, as the pitches start to get older, drier, and a bit more tired, we might see spinners come into play more. This could benefit teams like Gujarat, with their exceptional spin attack. It could also play to the strengths of tall seamers who can hit the pitch hard and extract some cut from the surface.
When we think of pitches getting older, drier, and dustier, the immediate assumption is usually that spinners will come into play. But, the truly clever bowlers — and there are plenty in these top four sides — are the tall, quick bowlers who can hit the pitch hard, extract lateral movement, and take pace off the game. These bowlers will pose significant challenges for the batters.
At the moment, I see four sides heading in the right direction, just past the halfway mark. I’d expect these teams to be strong contenders as we approach the latter stages of the tournament and the playoffs.
