IPL 2025 league stage recap: Teenage ton, pricey flop - highs and lows before the playoffs

IPL 2025 league stage was one of contrasts for two left-handers, where teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi starred for Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant looked a sorry shadow of himself. (AP/PTI)

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The Indian Premier League has finally entered its playoff stage - belatedly and dramatically. After 70 matches of explosive batting, tense finishes and unprecedented off-field events, four teams are left in contention for the crown.At the heart of the league stage were two polarising narratives: the astonishing rise of 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals’ prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed the second-fastest IPL century of all time; and the steep fall of Lucknow Super Giants’ Rs 27 crore gamble, Rishabh Pant , who failed to inspire with the bat and leadership.Adding to the chaos, the season was suspended mid-way due to armed conflict near the India-Pakistan border, raising concerns about player safety. With such a volatile mix of brilliance, heartbreak and drama, IPL 2025 delivered an unforgettable league phase.IPL 2025’s league stage belonged as much to fearless youth as it did to flailing veterans. The undisputed star was Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old sensation from Rajasthan Royals who smashed a 35-ball century, finishing with 252 runs from seven games.Other breakout stars included Priyansh Arya, who hammered a century for Punjab Kings, and promising knocks from Ayush Mhatre (Chennai Super Kings) and Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS), adding youthful flair to the league.In contrast, Pant, the IPL’s costliest player at Rs 27 crore, failed to justify the price tag. With just 269 runs from 14 games and questions swirling around his captaincy, Pant’s campaign ended in disappointment. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni’s mid-season return to captaincy failed to revive a sinking ship as CSK finished last for the first time in IPL history.It was a season of extremes - blistering highs on the field, jarring interruptions off it. Sunrisers Hyderabad bookended their campaign with explosive totals: 286/6 against RR and 278/3 against Kolkata Knight Riders, with Heinrich Klaasen’s unbeaten 105 sealing their final league win. But inconsistency plagued their middle stretch, and underwhelming bowling efforts kept them from finishing higher.Even bigger than cricket was the border conflict, which halted the league after shelling was reported during a PBKS vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala. Air raid sirens, overnight evacuations and trains shuttling players to safety forced a pause in play. The temporary suspension led to Mitchell Starc’s early exit, citing safety concerns, marking an unprecedented moment in IPL history. Mumbai Indians made the most thrilling charge of the season. After losing four of their first five, they won six on the bounce to storm into the playoffs. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, Suryakumar Yadav’s consistency and Jasprit Bumrah’s 17 wickets in 10 matches made the difference.Gujarat Titans were less dramatic. Anchored by Sai Sudharsan’s 679 runs - earning him an India call-up - and Shubman Gill’s steady leadership, GT sealed their playoff spot without looking rattled.Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history, becoming the first team to win all seven away matches in an IPL season. With Jitesh Sharma captaining late in the season and smashing an unbeaten 85 in a record chase of 228 against LSG, RCB head into the playoffs with unmatched momentum.Based on their track record, PBKS were this year’s overachievers. Led by Shreyas Iyer and coached by Ricky Ponting, they showcased grit, defending the lowest total of the season (111 vs KKR) and punching above their weight. Their blend of youth and discipline pushed them into the playoffs as the table-toppers.CSK endured a forgettable season. The return of Dhoni as captain couldn’t mask issues: Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin underperformed, while overseas picks like Hasaranga failed to deliver. Young talents like Dewald Brevis and Mhatre offered late hope, but the campaign was too far gone.RR, stripped of stars like Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult, struggled to stay afloat. Injuries and inconsistency plagued them, but Suryavanshi’s emergence gave their fans a glimmer of future glory.LSG began strong but faded fast. Despite occasional brilliance from Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Digvesh Rathi, the team lacked depth and clarity. Pant’s underwhelming leadership and their bowling unit’s failure to deliver under pressure left them out of the top-four.KKR, the defending champions, were a shadow of their 2024 selves. Ajinkya Rahane stood tall with gritty batting, but Venkatesh Iyer’s failure and strategic confusion saw KKR slump to five losses in their first eight games - never quite recovering.DC, too, saw a steep drop. Having led the table early, they lost five of their last eight. Mitchell Starc’s exit post-Dharamsala, a misfiring middle order and the lack of a match-winning spinner derailed a campaign that had promised much more.As the playoffs begin, the narrative shifts from resurrection to redemption. Can MI’s momentum, GT’s balance or RCB’s road dominance carry them all the way? Or will PBKS, underdogs-turned-warriors, script a fairytale finish?

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