From Suryavanshi's record ton to Pant's struggles

Mumbai, May 28: IPL's costliest-ever player, Rishabh Pant, at last delivered the goods with a tonne in the final match, but the Lucknow Super Giants missed the bus. Axar Patel's Delhi Capitals nosedived from cruise control. Former winners Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders cut a sorry figure, while Sunrisers Hyderabad misfired all the way through.

In all, it took 67 days, including a 10-day break, for the IPL to go through its preliminary round of 70 matches this year, which witnessed some surreal highs and disappointing lows.

Here's a recap so far before the playoffs begin.

Young guns make a strong dent:

RR's Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a 13-year-old when he was picked in the mega auction last December, and at 14 in May, he became the youngest ever to score the fastest IPL tonne for an Indian off 35 balls and the second fastest ever, against Gujarat Titans.

His finesse in stroke play and spunk at the biggest stage captivated the game's greats.

While India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma was also among those who hit centuries, it also included Punjab Kings' uncapped Priyansh Arya, who took apart a lowly CSK with his maiden IPL tonne. Prabhsimran Singh also showed he has got the goods, while Ayush Mhatre gave CSK some reasons to smile.

Daunting SRH misfire:

Last year's runner-up, SRH, came in with one of the most intimidating batting line-ups, but the all-out attack approach fell flat on its face.

SRH began the IPL with the second highest total ever of 286/6 against RR and ended with the third highest, 278/3 against KKR.

In between, it looked like SRH never had a Plan B with the bat; Nitish Kumar Reddy largely disappointed, and not having a quality spinner to bowl in the powerplay hurt them.

CSK learn their lessons the hard way:

Change is the only constant, goes the old adage, and CSK learnt it the hard way this year. The side was forced to part with its philosophy of keeping young talent on the bench and relying only on seasoned players such as MS Dhoni.

At the top, the 17-year-old Mumbai batter Mhatre thrived against the odds while the Proteas' Dewald Brevis dazzled towards the end. The 20-year-old Afghan Noor Ahmad emerged as CSK's most successful spinner, with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja being the other options.

Sai Sudharsan comes of age:

The young southpaw showed that a no-risk approach with relentless attack at every opportunity can be a way to amass runs. He tops the charts right now with more than 670 runs and was deservingly rewarded with a national call-up for the Test tour of England.

From being retired out for batting slowly in 2023 to being one of the best batters in 2025, Gujarat Titans' Sudharsan proved his time has come.

Mumbai Indians do a Mumbai Indians:

Four defeats in the first five games marked yet another typical Mumbai Indians' start to an IPL, but Hardik Pandya's men came back roaring to win the next six matches to establish themselves among the front-runners.

Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma have blown hot and cold, but Suryakumar Yadav showed why he is among the best in the business with remarkable consistency, while Jasprit Bumrah's 17 wickets in 10 matches must set alarm bells ringing in opposition camps.

RR's forgettable season:

From sweating on Sanju Samson's fitness and form to the lack of gumption shown by others, RR endured a forgettable season to finish second last ahead of CSK.

Parting ways with key players including Jos Buttler, Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult disturbed their balance more than perhaps RR imagined.

High-flying DC nosedive:

The Capitals began this IPL looking like they wouldn't put a foot wrong, but when it came to being clinical and consistent, the fight petered out.

DC began with five wins in their first six matches and were perched at the top of the table, but a stunning nosedive saw them lose five out of the next eight.

KKR misfire but Rahane stands tall:

Rahane waged a lone battle of sorts, but the season was also poor for the franchise's costliest player and vice-captain, Venkatesh Iyer. With five defeats in their first eight matches, it was all but over quite early for the defending champions, who failed to play like one.

Marsh, Pooran stand tall in LSG rabble:

Five wins in the first eight games – built largely on the top order's success – gave LSG a chance to finish in the final four, but there were more areas of concern than bright spots.

Pant's horror run with the bat, lack of depth in the middle order and lack of variation in bowling saw them miss out on the playoffs again, but Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram gave them the substance amid Digvesh Rathi's theatrics.

Punjab Kings' rise:

Skipper Shreyas Iyer's performances in the last year or so have been screaming out loud that there is more to him than what is perceived, and it was no surprise to see that he was the anchor of the perennial strugglers' remarkable turnaround.

With a determined Iyer and hard-nosed head coach in Australian Ricky Ponting at the helm, there was little doubt that PBKS would be one of the teams to beat, and performances like the one against KKR, to defend the lowest-ever total (111), were only an example.

Gill's Titans take flight:

He has scored at least 400 runs every season since he joined Gujarat Titans three years ago, but Gill not only continued to lead by example but also ensured his side remained ahead of the race despite a lopsided batting order and the lack of form of one of their premier bowlers in Rashid Khan.