KKR withstand Gill scare to crack GT code and keep playoff hopes alive
KKR withstand Gill scare to crack GT code and keep playoff hopes alive
KKR edge GT by 29 runs at Eden Gardens, powered by Allen's 93 and Narine's tally, keeping Kolkata's IPL 2026 playoff dreams alive.
Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Kolkata posted 247 for 2, with Finn Allen delivering a brutal 93 off 35 balls and Angkrish Raghuvanshi contributing with a solid cameo, while Green chipped in with a late push. Gujarat began aggressively, with Sudharsan and Gill adding 42 in the first three overs, but Narine checked the scoring and later struck Gill at the boundary, shifting momentum in Kolkata's favour.
Gill then reached his fifty in 33 balls and Buttler followed with a fifty of his own as GT raced to 177 for 1 in 16 overs, needing 71 from the last four. The game pivoted when Narine dismissed Gill, and Buttler fell soon after, a long-off catch off Saurabh Dubey ending his bid to accelerate. Sudharsan, who had retired hurt earlier after an elbow injury, returned to finish unbeaten on 53 off 28, but the target remained out of reach. Narine, in his 200th IPL match, returned figures of 2 for 29 to stifle Gujarat's chase. Rahul Tewatia was dismissed by Cameron Green late in the innings as KKR sealed the win. The victory lifted Kolkata to seventh, two points behind fourth-placed Punjab Kings, and kept their playoff push very much alive.
Earlier, KKR had posted 247 for 2 after a strong batting display from Allen, Raghuvanshi and Green, with Allen blasting 93 off 35 to set the tone for the innings.
