On paper, the Mumbai Indians (MI) are possibly the strongest in IPL 2025. Their batting is destructive bolstered by the top fast bowler of the world and an exceptional white-ball spinner. And on top of that, there are four international captains to support Hardik Pandya. Yet MI find themselves stuck in mid-table traffic in IPL 2025. So how can they manage to enter into the playoffs? Let’s do some digging. Keeping up with the tradition of losing in the season opener, MI was finally edged out by CSK in Chennai. They followed that up with a small stumble in Ahmedabad, before they romped home to glory over KKR at Wankhede. But soon, two narrow 12-run losses to LSG and RCB dented their momentum. Where in the past they were known for easily chasing targets set in front of them, MI have struggled to crack the code this year to chase. We are finally starting to see some combinations! After an imperfect win over the highly-formatted Delhi Capitals away, they came back and defeated the SRH very easy in their last game. With three wins, MI isn't out of the woods yet, but they're still breathing in the playoff race. As of April 21, MI have played 8 of their 14 group-stage games. With 8 points and a 4-4 record, they’re sixth in the standings. It’s not the best spot, but it is definitely not the worst. The usual magic number for qualifying for the playoffs in IPL has been kept at around sixteen points. So, MI would probably need to win at least 4 of the remaining 6 matches to go through automatically. Traditionally, 16 points were traditionally the threshold for securing a playoff berth in the IPL. Currently, the Mumbai Indians sit at 8 points from 8 games and from the remaining 6 matches will have to win at least 4 to be in with a strong chance of automatic qualification for the playoffs. On the brighter side, MI retains some home matches, which is a substantial advantage. They also encounter two teams that lie low in the points, the RR and the SRH, whom they would back themselves to win against. Also Read | Watch: Virat Kohli’s Hilarious Punjabi Banter with Harpreet Brar Harder tests in the shape of GT, PBKS, and LSG await. All are in a good vein of form this season. At least one or two wins here are a must. Their final match will see them square up against the Delhi Capitals, who are looking really good this year. But if things come down to a playoff qualification scenario, maybe Wankhede will pull some strings again. Here’s how MI’s path to the playoffs shapes up: Wins in Last 6 Matches Total Wins Points Playoffs Qualification 6 10 20 Guaranteed Top 2 5 9 18 Guaranteed Top 4 (Maybe Top 2) 4 8 16 Likely Top 4 3 or fewer ≤7 ≤14 Maybe, Maybe Not