IPL 2025 league stage concluded with a surprise twist. Although the four playoff teams were already decided long before the last round of games, the battle for Qualifier 1 spots and the Eliminator did not stop till the eleventh hour. Now that the playoffs are about to start, here's a glance at each team, the players they will miss, the alternatives they've recruited, and how that might influence their prospects, particularly for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have made it to the playoffs once again but continue to pursue that elusive IPL title. IPL 2025 Playoffs Schedule Qualifier 1: Punjab Kings (1st) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2nd) - Thursday, Mullanpur Eliminator: Gujarat Titans (3rd) vs Mumbai Indians (4th) - Friday, Mullanpur Here's breaking down the form, injuries, and lineups of all four teams before the knockout stage.: Also Read | IPL 2025: Kohli's Playoff Struggles Haunt RCB Ahead of Qualifier 1 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): A Flawless Away Record, But a Telling Playoff Test Looms Unavailable Players for RCB: Devdutt Padikkal Jacob Bethell Lungi Ngidi Replacements: Mayank Agarwal Tim Seifert Blessing Muzarabani What Could Hurt Them: Tim David sat out the last league game with a hamstring strain and remains doubtful for Qualifier 1. He's one of the lower-order's most feared hitters with a strike rate of 185.14. His absence may tell on RCB's capacity to close out matches. Liam Livingstone could be the replacement, but his performance so far this season has been disappointing. What Works in Their Favor Josh Hazlewood is back for the playoffs and should be fit be add strength to both powerplay and death overs. RCB have also won all seven away games this season, an unblemished record that indicates that they know how to cope with pressure in alien conditions. Also Read | Who is the Lady Beside Anushka Sharma Who Called Pant ‘Stupid’? Punjab Kings (PBKS): Solid Indian Core, But Foreign Gaps Still There Unavailable Players for PBKS: Marco Jansen Glenn Maxwell Lockie Ferguson Replacements: Kyle Jamieson Mitchell Owen What May Be a Cause for Concern: PBKS have relied heavily on their Indian players this season. Sure, that's been their strength, but losing Marco Jansen impacts both their bowling balance and lower-order striking. Yuzvendra Chahal missed two games due to a wrist injury but should be back for the playoffs. Also Read | Rohit Sharma Fans Chant Loudly at Jaipur IPL Match Gujarat Titans (GT): Firepower Missing, Rashid's Form Huge Concern Unavailable Players: Jos Buttler Kagiso Rabada Glenn Phillips Replacements: Kusal Mendis Dasun Shanaka Main Concern for GT: GT's leading three batters, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler, have scored 73% of their teams' runs this year. Buttler's departure creates a huge vacancy in the batting order. Kusal Mendis has his work cut out. Rashid Khan has so far had his poorest IPL campaign ever. He's taken just nine wickets in 14 games and been taken for 31 sixes. Also Read | Watch: Brevis Launches 114m in Sixes in Super Sixes Challenge Mumbai Indians (MI): Potentially Harmful Team Withsetback Unavailable Players for MI: Will Jacks Ryan Rickelton Corbin Bosch Vignesh Puthur Replacements: Jonny Bairstow Charith Asalanka Richard Gleeson Raghu Sharma Key Takeaway for MI: MI lost two of their previous three games but are still a threat in the playoffs. Without Rickelton and Jacks, it won't be much of an issue, Bairstow can open and play as a wicketkeeper, and Suryakumar Yadav can bat at No. 3. Charith Asalanka brings a bit of offspin to the table and can bat in the middle order, which makes him a like for like replacement for Will Jacks. Though, their bowling has been doing wonders, but just incase if the situation demands some bounce to trouble the batters, Gleeson can play a crucial role.