IPL teams that qualified for playoffs after losing 6 out of first 8 matches

The Indian Premier League is counted amongst the fiercest leagues in the world, featuring the best talent from around the globe. Every season, all ten teams are seen giving tough competition to each other to progress ahead into the playoffs and move a step closer to winning the coveted trophy.

While some teams gain momentum from the first match itself, some rise to the occasion quite late. Over the years, a few teams have scripted remarkable comebacks in IPL history, rescuing their campaigns, which once seemed almost over. Here’s a look at two such occasions, where teams made it to the playoffs, despite losing six or more matches out of the first eight games:

1. Mumbai Indians (2014)

Mumbai Indians’ (MI) campaign once again didn’t get off to a memorable start as the defending champions lost their first five matches. The Rohit Sharma-led side finally tasted victory in their sixth fixture against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and followed it up with another win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

However, another loss against CSK in their ninth match pushed them into a corner. When everything seemed to be going wrong, MI got on a winning run and had their destiny in their own hands going into the last fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR). In the last match, Mumbai pulled off a mind-boggling chase of 190 in just 14.4 overs to seal their berth in the playoffs.

 2. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2024)

After failing to make it to the playoffs in 2023, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) started well in 2024, winning their second match. However, from there, things only went downhill with the Faf du Plessis-led side losing six matches on the trot.

With just one win from the first eight games, the campaign was almost over for RCB, who had to win all of their remaining fixtures and also improve their net run rate to stand a chance of progressing ahead. With batting stalwarts Virat Kohli (741 runs) and Faf du Plessis (438 runs) showing the way, RCB managed to win five games on the trot. 

Going into their final game, only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stood between RCB and playoffs qualification. They managed to secure a thrilling win, stopping CSK under 200 to knock them out of the tournament and advance to the playoffs.