Recently, AB de Villiers shared his IPL 2025 preview on his YouTube channel, where he predicted the top four teams in the points table. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings failed to make his list. The Proteas legend also excluded strong teams like Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad while naming his playoff contenders.
AB de Villiers Predicts IPL 2025’s Top 4 Teams
AB de Villiers’ first pick for the playoffs remains Mumbai Indians. MI finished at the bottom of the table last season with just four wins in 14 games, but Proteas legend believes the Hardik Pandya-led side will make a strong comeback in IPL 2025.
The second team AB de Villiers picked is Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the team close to his heart. RCB secured a fourth-place finish last season, and de Villiers expects them to maintain their position in the top four once again.
He also backed Gujarat Titans, who had an impressive run under Hardik Pandya, reaching consecutive finals in 2022 and 2023. However, under Shubman Gill’s leadership, they slipped to eighth place in 2024. With a well-balanced squad, de Villiers believes GT has the potential to bounce back.
After some thought, he finalized Kolkata Knight Riders as the fourth team. The defending champions will have Ajinkya Rahane at the helm this time, and de Villiers sees them as strong contenders to retain their dominance.
I’ve made my picks for the playoff spots. Who are your top 4?
It’s all in the latest episode of the #360Show: https://t.co/I6CBpXSsoW pic.twitter.com/8F3nqOYxKW
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) March 20, 2025
Fans are surprised that Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t make it to AB de Villiers’ predicted top four. Under Pat Cummins’ captaincy last season, SRH showcased batting dominance and even set the highest total in IPL history, 287 runs. They finished second on the points table, but their batting lineup crumbled in the final, resulting in a one-sided defeat as KKR won by eight wickets.
Sunrisers Hyderabad remained successful in retaining their core players for IPL 2025. Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen once again bring a fear factor to the team. Additionally, the inclusion of Mohammed Shami and Ishan Kishan will further strengthen their playing XI.
