Ahmedabad: Shubman Gill produced another commanding knock at the Narendra Modi Stadium, striking a fluent 86 to steer Gujarat Titans to a five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders and deepen their struggles in IPL 2026.
Gill’s 50-ball effort, studded with eight fours and four sixes, ensured GT stayed ahead for most of the 181-run chase. Though KKR managed to drag the contest into the final over, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan held their nerve to complete the job with two balls to spare, sealing a third successive win for the 2022 champions and lifting them to fourth on the table.
Earlier, KKR’s innings followed a familiar pattern — promise undone by collapse. Cameron Green stood tall with a 55-ball 79, but found little support as KKR lost six wickets for 33 runs at the death to finish on 180. Kagiso Rabada (3/33) led the charge with the ball, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna applied the squeeze in the middle overs.
Opting to bat, KKR stumbled early with skipper Ajinkya Rahane falling for a duck and the top order crumbling to 32/3. A 55-run stand between Green and Rovman Powell (27) revived hopes, while a late surge — including a brisk 60-run partnership with Anukul Roy — briefly put 200 within reach.
But once Roy departed, the innings unraveled. Rinku Singh and others fell cheaply, and Green, after accelerating smartly against spin, was left stranded at the non-striker’s end during the collapse before falling off the last ball.
In reply, GT got off to a flying start with Gill and Sai Sudharsan adding 71 for the opening wicket. Sunil Narine broke the stand, but Jos Buttler (25) kept the tempo high before falling to Varun Chakaravarthy.
Gill, in full control, brought up his half-century in 27 balls and looked set for a hundred before Green’s sharp fielding effort cut short his innings. A brief wobble followed, but GT’s finishers ensured there were no late twists.
KKR, now with five losses, remain rooted to the bottom, with their batting frailties once again exposed despite Green’s lone resistance.
(DD News)
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