New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar backed table toppers Gujarat Titans to finish in the top-two spot of the IPL 2025 standings.

Currently, Gujarat Titans are placed at the top spot with 18 points in 13 matches while Punjab Kings (17 points), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (17 points) and Mumbai Indians (16 points) sit at second, third and fourth respectively. All four teams have already secured playoffs berth and are fighting for the top-two spot.

With only one game remaining against Chennai Super Kings, GT have to win the clash to confirm the top spot.

“I think Gujarat Titans might be the first team to secure a top-two spot. They’ve only dropped one game, which could be just what they need to recharge and come back stronger in the next match,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

RCB and PBKS lost their penultimate games to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals respectively to dent their top-two finish hopes.

Manjrekar hailed Sameer Rizvi’s mature knock under pressure for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings.

“He’s coming of age, like many young Indian players this season. It hasn’t been about the big names — this IPL has belonged to the younger lot. What stood out in this innings was how he dominated spin and found ways to score against quality bowlers like Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh. And this was a proper chase — there wasn’t any advantage from dew, which can sometimes make it feel like you’re already 20 runs ahead. That wasn’t the case, and if not for Rizvi, I don’t think Delhi Capitals would’ve pulled it off.”

Manjrekar observed how IPL 2025 has been defined by Gen Bold players and lauded youngsters like Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Suryavanshi for their breakout season.

“The big takeaway for me this IPL is the emergence of lesser-known players making a huge impact — names like Sameer Rizvi, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh. There’s even a 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the mix. It’s been their IPL, more than the big iconic names. Those stars are fading, and these young players are taking centre stage — that’s been the story so far.

–IANS

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