Will MI reach their sixth IPL final? First, they must break Eliminator jinx

In 17 IPL seasons, only one team has won the title from fourth place and none since the playoff format began, making MI's 2025 title hopes historically challenging

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), i.e. IPL 2025, is nearing its end with only four teams left in the fray to win the title. After the league stage, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished first and second, respectively, to secure their place in Qualifier 1, while Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians finished third and fourth, booking their spot in the Eliminator. 

 

Of all four teams in the IPL 2025 playoffs, Mumbai Indians (MI) are the most experienced and successful. They have played 20 matches in the IPL playoffs, winning 13 of them, including five IPL finals. However, despite their impressive playoff record, they face a mountain of historical statistics if they wish to lift their sixth IPL trophy in 2025. In the past 17 years, only one team has won the IPL from fourth position in the points table. That number drops to zero since the introduction of the playoff format.

 

Eliminator jinx of the IPL

The IPL started with a traditional four-team semi-final and final format back in 2008 but switched to the playoff format in 2011. Since then, 14 seasons have passed, out of which the team finishing at the top of the points table has won the title five times, while the team finishing second has emerged victorious eight times. Only once—in 2016—has a team finishing third gone on to win the title, when Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru to lift their first and only IPL trophy. That leaves the fourth-place finish—which, to MI’s disappointment, has never produced a winner since the playoff format was introduced.

Only team to win IPL from fourth position

Deccan Chargers, in the 2009 season, finished fourth in the points table after the league stage and ended up winning the tournament by beating Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final. This remains the first and only instance in IPL history where a team finishing fourth went on to lift the title. However, in 2009, the IPL followed a straightforward semi-final and final format, meaning it was a straight knockout for all four semi-finalists—unlike the advantage the top two teams enjoy under the current format introduced in 2011.

MI’s record after finishing third or fourth

Despite being one of only two teams to have won the IPL title five times, MI’s record after finishing third or fourth in the points table is less than encouraging. MI have qualified for the IPL playoffs from third or fourth position four times. On two occasions, they lost the Eliminator itself, while on the other two, they went on to lose in Qualifier 2. This means the five-time champions have never played a final after finishing lower than second on the points table.

Breathtaking form in 2025

IPL 2025 could be MI’s best chance to break the Eliminator jinx. After languishing in the bottom two spots following the first five matches of the season, MI scripted a fairytale comeback to secure a place in the playoffs. They now have form and momentum on their side, which could carry them to their sixth IPL title this time around.