Gujarat Titans are on the verge of becoming the first club to secure a playoff position in IPL 2026 after just winning three of their first seven games. They will succeed if they defeat the Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, KKR is making a comeback, albeit a somewhat delayed one, and would aim to start their run of three consecutive home games with a victory.
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| The player of the match was Sunil Narine |
While KKR ran on a four-game winning streak before falling to RCB, GT will enter the game feeling very confident that their bowling team is in scorching form. Overall, the competition at the Eden Gardens is thrilling.
Gill versus his former squad
Shubman Gill's strike rate against KKR was 153.97.
Compared to his other IPL opponents, Shubman Gill attacks more quickly against his former squad, the Kolkata Knight Riders. Against the Lucknow Super Giants, his next greatest strike rate against a single opponent was 145.98.
In addition, he averages 54.2 against KKR. In the IPL, he only performs higher on average versus LSG (54.5) and Punjab Kings (54.36).
Will Varun participate?
A "small hairline" on Varun Chakravarthy's toe was reported by head coach Abhishek Nayar during KKR's most recent match against RCB. He bowled in the nets and trained on Friday, but his availability won't be confirmed until Saturday. KKR may choose the same team as the RCB match if he doesn't get better in time. Although Matheesha Pathirana is healthy and prepared to play, KKR has not yet given him an opportunity. Will Rovman Powell be replaced by him?
Visit Ashish Pant's preview for further team news, players to keep an eye on, pitch and conditions, and more.
In focus
Ajinkya Rahane scored 67 against MI to start the IPL, but his season has since drastically declined. Rahane has scored two single-digit runs, two ducks, and just four runs over 20 in 11 games. Rahane's strike rate during that phase is only 131.19, and KKR has only registered a 50-plus powerplay score six times all season (joint-fewest). He will also face Mohammed Siraj, with whom he has a poor IPL record of two dismissals, 19 runs in eight innings, and a strike rate of only 57.57. KKR will be hoping for their captain to return to the running with three games remaining.
Washington Sundar has been a key factor in GT's season comeback, stabilising their troublesome middle order. This is by far Washington's greatest IPL season in terms of runs, with 296 in 12 innings. His strike rate of 152.57 is also noteworthy. Washington's hitting in the final overs is another area in which he has excelled this season. With a strike rate of 180.59, he has the fourth-highest number of runs from overs 17 to 20 this season (121).
The impact of Jason Holder
Gujarat Titans (GT) didn't try Jason Holder until their seventh IPL 2026 match. He has taken 13 wickets in the six games since his inclusion, and GT has won five of them, putting them on course to finish in the top two in the league stage.
Holder has won two player-of-the-match honours throughout his six-game streak. If his teammates hadn't cast some similarly fantastic spells, he could have easily had more. Kagiso Rabada's game-changing 3 for 28 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) rather overshadowed his 3 for 20 in four overs. Rashid Khan's brilliant 4 for 33 in Jaipur set up the match, and he completed it by running through the lower order of the Rajasthan Royals with 3 for 12 in 2.3 overs.
The fact that Holder, 34, has maintained his T20 bowling form from the previous year, when he claimed the most wickets of any bowler in T20 history with 99 in the calendar year, is scarcely surprising. An already potent starting lineup has just gotten stronger as GT realised that Holder's seam bowling in the style of a Test match was more valuable than Glenn Phillips' batting and sporadic offspin.
How can GT be defeated by KKR?
Every component of GT's machine has clicked into smooth, menacing motion as they have won five straight games. The bowling-friendly, especially seam-friendly, character of the surfaces they've played on, especially at their home stadium in Ahmedabad, has been a recurring theme during much of their winning run. Their already excellent bowling attack has been strengthened by these surfaces, which have also given their hitters the freedom to play in the rather traditional manner that works best for them.
Therefore, if the surface at Eden Gardens is flat and loaded with runs tonight, that might be KKR's best chance. However, in just three finished games this season, there has only been one 200-plus total at the location.
Does KKR need to change its batting order?
For partnerships that have contributed at least 100 runs in the 2026 Indian Premier League, that is the lowest scoring rate. KKR pairings make up two of the six slowest partnerships: Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green. Usually, all three bat in KKR's top four. Do they want to push more aggressive alternatives up the order and try to split these pairings apart?
Varun reappears as the Gujarat Titans bowl
Gujarat Titans choose to bowl against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans (GT) captain, has chosen to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on an Eden Gardens pitch that he expected to be “sticky” at the start before getting better to bat on.
The team that GT named is the same as the one that defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday. If they win, they would guarantee a postseason berth. They had won five straight games.
Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, returned to KKR after missing their previous two games due to a toe ailment that has been determined to be a tiny hairline fracture. With just three foreign players in the starting lineup, Matheesha Pathirana, a slinger from Sri Lanka, may play his first game of the season. He starts on the Impact Player bench. Vaibhav Arora, a swing bowler who frequently appears in KKR's starting lineup, also starts from the bench.
There are three home games left for KKR, who are playing their 100th game at Eden Gardens. They are now in ninth position, and to have a chance of making the playoffs, they should ideally win every game they have left.
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Finn Allen, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Cameron Green, 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Anukul Roy, 9 Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Saurabh Dubey, 11 Kartik Tyagi.
Impact Player bench: Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rovman Powell, Matheesha Pathirana.
Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Washington Sundar, 5 Jason Holder, 6 Nishant Sindhu, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj.
Gujarat Titans choose to bowl against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans (GT) captain, has chosen to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on an Eden Gardens pitch that he expected to be “sticky” at the start before getting better to bat on.
The team that GT named is the same as the one that defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday. If they win, they would guarantee a postseason berth. They had won five straight games.
Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, returned to KKR after missing their previous two games due to a toe ailment that has been determined to be a tiny hairline fracture. With just three foreign players in the starting lineup, Matheesha Pathirana, a slinger from Sri Lanka, may play his first game of the season. He starts on the Impact Player bench. Vaibhav Arora, a swing bowler who frequently appears in KKR's starting lineup, also starts from the bench.
There are three home games left for KKR, who are playing their 100th game at Eden Gardens. They are now in ninth position, and to have a chance of making the playoffs, they should ideally win every game they have left.
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Finn Allen, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Cameron Green, 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Anukul Roy, 9 Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Saurabh Dubey, 11 Kartik Tyagi.
Impact Player bench: Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rovman Powell, Matheesha Pathirana.
Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Washington Sundar, 5 Jason Holder, 6 Nishant Sindhu, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj.
Impact Player bench: Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Prasidh Krishna, Kumar Kushagra.
Allen appears menacing
This pitch isn't the most evenly paced early on, as Shubman Gill anticipated at the toss, and KKR's openers initially struggled with timing, but Finn Allen is starting to look dangerous.
In the third over, he just avoided being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj at extra-cover, but a jumping Jason Holder was unable to hang onto the one-handed opportunity. At the time, he was batting on 14. He is currently batting on 29 of 12 balls after hitting consecutive sixes off Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over.
In four overs, KKR is 39 for no loss.
In the third over, he just avoided being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj at extra-cover, but a jumping Jason Holder was unable to hang onto the one-handed opportunity. At the time, he was batting on 14. He is currently batting on 29 of 12 balls after hitting consecutive sixes off Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over.
In four overs, KKR is 39 for no loss.
Rahane is acquired by Siraj
Ajinkya Rahane, a hitter Mohammed Siraj has enjoyed bowling to, is the victim of his 200th T20 wicket. angled into the stumps on the length's fuller side. Rahane swipes across the line and misses, but it doesn't actually swing away.
In 4.3 overs, KKR is 44 for 1.
In all Twenty20 matches, Siraj has now removed Rahane three times in 44 balls while giving up just 34 runs.
Rahane's feet just became trapped, and upon closer inspection, this was a full ball, not just the fuller side of a length. It appeared as though he was preparing for something brief and was caught off guard.
56 for one
Considering that this hasn't been the flattest pitch to bat first on, KKR had a respectable power play. However, they must continue because there's a significant likelihood that when GT chases, batting will become easier.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi made a nice shot with the penultimate ball of the power play. He had to dip his head to avoid his own shot after getting down low to scoop a length ball from Kagiso Rabada over the keeper, but he executed it flawlessly and scored six runs for it.
GT continues to drop Allen
Is this going to be a turning point? In the first post-powerplay over, Jason Holder produced excellent hard lengths, and Allen was unable to control the flat-bat hit that fell to the ground. It pops out of Siraj's hands at long-on. Allen is currently on 34 off 18.
The next ball is used to penalise the mistake. Raghuvanshi is on strike, but if the catch had been taken, it would not have been. Holder is whipped away for a monstrous six over backwards square leg as he slightly misses his line and becomes too leg-stumpish.
In seven overs, KKR is 67 for 1.
Allen defeats Rashid
Six, six, four, one, zero, one
Two shots are at the forefront of Finn Allen's rise to prominence as one of the most deadly spin hitters available. One is the strong step-hit down the ground, where he can cleanly launch balls of decent length for six, thanks to his reach. The other is his ability to clear the leg-side boundary by rocking back, moving his front leg out of the way, and hitting the Heinrich Klaasen pull, which is an almost straight-bat pull.
After greeting Rashid Khan with these two shots, he smacks a short ball down the ground for what should have been two but turns into four because Holder misfields at long-on. He now has a half-century off of just 21 balls.
After taking 18 runs from the eighth over, KKR ended it at 85 for 1.
Allen keeps driving
1 6 1 1 0 6
After those two drops, GT must be pretty upset with themselves. Holder hit two sixes in the ninth over, making KKR 100 for 1. Allen is on 64 out of 26.
Allen through the 1990s
KKR has struck eight sixes in the previous five overs after Finn and Raghuvanshi each hit a six off R Sai Kishore in the tenth over.
And when Allen accomplishes this in Arshad Khan's opening over, that becomes eleven in six overs. The six-hitter is the most valuable resource in Twenty20 cricket, and there is currently no consistent length that GT can bowl without running the risk of being hit over the ropes.
KKR is 138 for 1 with twenty-two off the eleventh over. Allen is batting on 93 off 34.
Sai Kishore puts an end to Allen's destruction
Sai Kishore eventually succeeds in getting rid of Allen by going left-arm over and pitching outside the leg stump, despite GT's best efforts. He asks Allen whether he can clear the leg-side outfielders by going against the turn, but Allen is unable to do so. He is out for an amazing 93 from 35 balls after picking out deep midwicket.
In 11.2 overs, KKR is 139 for 2.
No, Allen, no issue
KKR had taken them for 14 and 17 in the first two full overs since Allen's expulsion. Although both Cameron Green and Angkrish Raghuvanshi are sluggish starters, they have both really taken off today. I believe KKR is aware of how beautiful this pitch is now to bat on, and they don't want their early calm phase to result in a subpar score. All I can say about par is that it appears to be continuously rising. According to our forecaster, KKR will surpass 240.
One more drop
This time it's Arshad Khan. Arshad reaches for it with the reverse-cup after Cam Green sweeps Rashid into the air for a deep backwards square leg, but he is unable to hang it, and the ball rolls off to the boundary. After that, Green hits Rashid's subsequent delivery for a powerful six over long-off, reaching the fifty partnership with Raghuvanshi in just 26 balls.
For Raghuvanshi, fifty
One of the best innings I've seen him play thus far is this one. Fifty off 33 balls with some very amazing shots, including a pick-up shot from Holder over backwards square and the scooped six off Rabada. With a beautiful one-bounce drive over mid-off off Holder, he now goes from 45 to 49. The next ball brings him to fifty. The height of his ceiling becomes more obvious every time he bats.
Drop Number: 3756
Well, it's only the innings' fourth drop, but still. What's going on here? It's merely the whims of chance, in my opinion. All of these elite cricket players put a lot of effort into honing their craft, and they are all more than adept at basic abilities like taking easy opportunities, but they all miss the occasional one. There are times when nothing sticks, and other times when everything sticks.
In any case, Rabada's ball is full at the toes, and Raghuvanshi flicks it delicately but inside Washington Sundar's reach at deep backwards square leg. Very much catchable, but little likelihood. KKR is 210 for 2 in 18 after Cam Green pulls a six over midwicket to conclude the over.
Raghuvanshi displays his range
0 1w 6 2 6 6
This man has a lot of talent. In the 19th over, Siraj hit three distinct sixes. A proper sweep over backwards square leg, an inside-out loft over extra-cover, and a scoop over fine leg off a low full-toss.
And the last-ball four is definitely the finest shot of the over, not even one of the sixes. Raghuvanshi opens up and reverse-scoops Siraj out of short third as he enters the field. Amazing stuff, as KKR scores 25 runs in one over.
247 for two
This is the most GT has ever given up. In keeping with this innings, the record comes up. Rabada is wrong-footed after a slog-sweep from Green off Rashid bounces in front of him at deep midwicket. I'm not sure if it turned after landing, but it frequently does. Green also reaches his fifty with those four, off just 26 balls. Additionally, there is an overthrow of the final ball. GT is causing more chaos on the field. Raghuvanshi concludes on 82 off 44 and Green on 52 not out off 28.
After a somewhat slow start, KKR put on a fantastic display, clearly realising that the ground had a little spongy bounce at first. GT will need to bat with all of their might and a little bit of their spirit if they want to win.
SaiSu retires wounded after a GT counterpunch
Just what they needed to get started. Gill and Sai Sudharsan clattered 42 off the first three overs, but that brief period ended somewhat cruelly when the quick-witted Kartik Tyagi struck Sai Sudharsan in the elbow. There is a slight delay when the physiotherapist enters the field.
He's now retired due to injuries. A huge setback for GT. At number three is Nishant Sindhu. Not Buttler, Jos. GT continues the right-left pair.
Furthermore, I had forgotten to bring this up earlier. KKR's Impact Player is Matheesha Pathirana. He's making his season debut.
Narine hits the opening ball
In his 200th IPL match, he enters the game and has an immediate impact. He's excellent against left-handed batters from over the wicket, according to regulations. urges Sindhu to attempt clearing long-off after dangling it beyond his hitting arc. He is unable to.
Ajinkya Rahane, a hitter Mohammed Siraj has enjoyed bowling to, is the victim of his 200th T20 wicket. angled into the stumps on the length's fuller side. Rahane swipes across the line and misses, but it doesn't actually swing away.
In 4.3 overs, KKR is 44 for 1.
In all Twenty20 matches, Siraj has now removed Rahane three times in 44 balls while giving up just 34 runs.
Rahane's feet just became trapped, and upon closer inspection, this was a full ball, not just the fuller side of a length. It appeared as though he was preparing for something brief and was caught off guard.
56 for one
Considering that this hasn't been the flattest pitch to bat first on, KKR had a respectable power play. However, they must continue because there's a significant likelihood that when GT chases, batting will become easier.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi made a nice shot with the penultimate ball of the power play. He had to dip his head to avoid his own shot after getting down low to scoop a length ball from Kagiso Rabada over the keeper, but he executed it flawlessly and scored six runs for it.
GT continues to drop Allen
Is this going to be a turning point? In the first post-powerplay over, Jason Holder produced excellent hard lengths, and Allen was unable to control the flat-bat hit that fell to the ground. It pops out of Siraj's hands at long-on. Allen is currently on 34 off 18.
The next ball is used to penalise the mistake. Raghuvanshi is on strike, but if the catch had been taken, it would not have been. Holder is whipped away for a monstrous six over backwards square leg as he slightly misses his line and becomes too leg-stumpish.
In seven overs, KKR is 67 for 1.
Allen defeats Rashid
Six, six, four, one, zero, one
Two shots are at the forefront of Finn Allen's rise to prominence as one of the most deadly spin hitters available. One is the strong step-hit down the ground, where he can cleanly launch balls of decent length for six, thanks to his reach. The other is his ability to clear the leg-side boundary by rocking back, moving his front leg out of the way, and hitting the Heinrich Klaasen pull, which is an almost straight-bat pull.
After greeting Rashid Khan with these two shots, he smacks a short ball down the ground for what should have been two but turns into four because Holder misfields at long-on. He now has a half-century off of just 21 balls.
After taking 18 runs from the eighth over, KKR ended it at 85 for 1.
Allen keeps driving
1 6 1 1 0 6
After those two drops, GT must be pretty upset with themselves. Holder hit two sixes in the ninth over, making KKR 100 for 1. Allen is on 64 out of 26.
Allen through the 1990s
KKR has struck eight sixes in the previous five overs after Finn and Raghuvanshi each hit a six off R Sai Kishore in the tenth over.
And when Allen accomplishes this in Arshad Khan's opening over, that becomes eleven in six overs. The six-hitter is the most valuable resource in Twenty20 cricket, and there is currently no consistent length that GT can bowl without running the risk of being hit over the ropes.
KKR is 138 for 1 with twenty-two off the eleventh over. Allen is batting on 93 off 34.
Sai Kishore puts an end to Allen's destruction
Sai Kishore eventually succeeds in getting rid of Allen by going left-arm over and pitching outside the leg stump, despite GT's best efforts. He asks Allen whether he can clear the leg-side outfielders by going against the turn, but Allen is unable to do so. He is out for an amazing 93 from 35 balls after picking out deep midwicket.
In 11.2 overs, KKR is 139 for 2.
No, Allen, no issue
KKR had taken them for 14 and 17 in the first two full overs since Allen's expulsion. Although both Cameron Green and Angkrish Raghuvanshi are sluggish starters, they have both really taken off today. I believe KKR is aware of how beautiful this pitch is now to bat on, and they don't want their early calm phase to result in a subpar score. All I can say about par is that it appears to be continuously rising. According to our forecaster, KKR will surpass 240.
One more drop
This time it's Arshad Khan. Arshad reaches for it with the reverse-cup after Cam Green sweeps Rashid into the air for a deep backwards square leg, but he is unable to hang it, and the ball rolls off to the boundary. After that, Green hits Rashid's subsequent delivery for a powerful six over long-off, reaching the fifty partnership with Raghuvanshi in just 26 balls.
For Raghuvanshi, fifty
One of the best innings I've seen him play thus far is this one. Fifty off 33 balls with some very amazing shots, including a pick-up shot from Holder over backwards square and the scooped six off Rabada. With a beautiful one-bounce drive over mid-off off Holder, he now goes from 45 to 49. The next ball brings him to fifty. The height of his ceiling becomes more obvious every time he bats.
Drop Number: 3756
Well, it's only the innings' fourth drop, but still. What's going on here? It's merely the whims of chance, in my opinion. All of these elite cricket players put a lot of effort into honing their craft, and they are all more than adept at basic abilities like taking easy opportunities, but they all miss the occasional one. There are times when nothing sticks, and other times when everything sticks.
In any case, Rabada's ball is full at the toes, and Raghuvanshi flicks it delicately but inside Washington Sundar's reach at deep backwards square leg. Very much catchable, but little likelihood. KKR is 210 for 2 in 18 after Cam Green pulls a six over midwicket to conclude the over.
Raghuvanshi displays his range
0 1w 6 2 6 6
This man has a lot of talent. In the 19th over, Siraj hit three distinct sixes. A proper sweep over backwards square leg, an inside-out loft over extra-cover, and a scoop over fine leg off a low full-toss.
And the last-ball four is definitely the finest shot of the over, not even one of the sixes. Raghuvanshi opens up and reverse-scoops Siraj out of short third as he enters the field. Amazing stuff, as KKR scores 25 runs in one over.
247 for two
This is the most GT has ever given up. In keeping with this innings, the record comes up. Rabada is wrong-footed after a slog-sweep from Green off Rashid bounces in front of him at deep midwicket. I'm not sure if it turned after landing, but it frequently does. Green also reaches his fifty with those four, off just 26 balls. Additionally, there is an overthrow of the final ball. GT is causing more chaos on the field. Raghuvanshi concludes on 82 off 44 and Green on 52 not out off 28.
After a somewhat slow start, KKR put on a fantastic display, clearly realising that the ground had a little spongy bounce at first. GT will need to bat with all of their might and a little bit of their spirit if they want to win.
SaiSu retires wounded after a GT counterpunch
Just what they needed to get started. Gill and Sai Sudharsan clattered 42 off the first three overs, but that brief period ended somewhat cruelly when the quick-witted Kartik Tyagi struck Sai Sudharsan in the elbow. There is a slight delay when the physiotherapist enters the field.
He's now retired due to injuries. A huge setback for GT. At number three is Nishant Sindhu. Not Buttler, Jos. GT continues the right-left pair.
Furthermore, I had forgotten to bring this up earlier. KKR's Impact Player is Matheesha Pathirana. He's making his season debut.
Narine hits the opening ball
In his 200th IPL match, he enters the game and has an immediate impact. He's excellent against left-handed batters from over the wicket, according to regulations. urges Sindhu to attempt clearing long-off after dangling it beyond his hitting arc. He is unable to.
And this happens after Pathirana enters the game (unusually during the power play) and gives up just seven runs in the fourth over.
In 4.1 overs, GT is 49 for 1.
Pathirana arrives
Pathirana rushes up to bowl the second ball of his second over, but he stops just as he lands on his back foot to start his delivery stride. He appears to be twinged. He bowls one more ball, but he doesn't really finish it with confidence, and now he's leaving the field. I'm not entirely sure what's wrong, but I believe it's something in his right leg. I'm concerned about him and KKR.
In any case, GT is currently 53 for 1 in 5.2 overs.
Gill against Narine
This is an interesting contest. In his opening over, Narine bowled Gill four balls without giving up a run at bat (only a leg bye). Gill now confronts him, as he must. In response, he slog-sweeps him for a six from a decent length when he is on 14 off 16 balls, then leaps out of his crease to flick him for another six. However, GT is still far behind the needed rate.
They're 69 for 1 in seven overs, and I can't help but wonder whether they'll try to maintain their net run rate while taking the practical route.
Five off Varun and eighteen off Roy
Overs 8 and 9 are those. The returning Varun Chakravarthy hit five singles and a dot, followed by two sixes and a four from Gill off Anukul Roy. Excellent footwork on both sixes. Varun is only one over away, but GT cannot afford to watch out for any more of his overs.
In nine overs, GT is 92 for 1. In the final 11 overs, they must score 156.
Fifty to Gill
Like Raghuvanshi earlier in the game, he gets there off 33 balls. An innings like Finn Allen's is what GT has lacked and sorely needs from someone.
Gill defeats Varun
2 6 0 4 6 4
Varun Chakravarthy is finally reached GT. Gill dismisses him in his last over, which is primarily from around the wicket. Is it, however, too little, too late? GT scored 22 off the 14th over, while the necessary rate was almost 17 at the start of that over.
In any case, they now require 96 from 36. They still require an innings from Finn Allen.
Buttler reaches fifty
It hasn't been the most fluid of innings. GT has an outside chance as long as he's in, but he's played and missed a lot, hacked at the ball and mistimed it, and gone at a control % of 66. They need 71 runs with four overs remaining.
Gill leaves
And the man who gets him is Narine. Anukul Roy made the tightest of boundary catches, leaning back and putting all of his weight on one foot only inches from the line, yet he was careful not to walk on the cushions. Gill can't quite get the strength to get past the man on the boundary after taking on the sweep off a fast, into-the-pitch delivery from Narine. GT now needs 71 off 22 after he is out for 85 off 49.
Narine's numbers were 3.4-0-24-2. He continues to do this year after year.
Yes, Sai Sudharsan has returned to the crease.
GT is kept in the game by SaiSu and Buttler, around
6 4 0 4 1 6
In 4.1 overs, GT is 49 for 1.
Pathirana arrives
Pathirana rushes up to bowl the second ball of his second over, but he stops just as he lands on his back foot to start his delivery stride. He appears to be twinged. He bowls one more ball, but he doesn't really finish it with confidence, and now he's leaving the field. I'm not entirely sure what's wrong, but I believe it's something in his right leg. I'm concerned about him and KKR.
In any case, GT is currently 53 for 1 in 5.2 overs.
Gill against Narine
This is an interesting contest. In his opening over, Narine bowled Gill four balls without giving up a run at bat (only a leg bye). Gill now confronts him, as he must. In response, he slog-sweeps him for a six from a decent length when he is on 14 off 16 balls, then leaps out of his crease to flick him for another six. However, GT is still far behind the needed rate.
They're 69 for 1 in seven overs, and I can't help but wonder whether they'll try to maintain their net run rate while taking the practical route.
Five off Varun and eighteen off Roy
Overs 8 and 9 are those. The returning Varun Chakravarthy hit five singles and a dot, followed by two sixes and a four from Gill off Anukul Roy. Excellent footwork on both sixes. Varun is only one over away, but GT cannot afford to watch out for any more of his overs.
In nine overs, GT is 92 for 1. In the final 11 overs, they must score 156.
Fifty to Gill
Like Raghuvanshi earlier in the game, he gets there off 33 balls. An innings like Finn Allen's is what GT has lacked and sorely needs from someone.
Gill defeats Varun
2 6 0 4 6 4
Varun Chakravarthy is finally reached GT. Gill dismisses him in his last over, which is primarily from around the wicket. Is it, however, too little, too late? GT scored 22 off the 14th over, while the necessary rate was almost 17 at the start of that over.
In any case, they now require 96 from 36. They still require an innings from Finn Allen.
Buttler reaches fifty
It hasn't been the most fluid of innings. GT has an outside chance as long as he's in, but he's played and missed a lot, hacked at the ball and mistimed it, and gone at a control % of 66. They need 71 runs with four overs remaining.
Gill leaves
And the man who gets him is Narine. Anukul Roy made the tightest of boundary catches, leaning back and putting all of his weight on one foot only inches from the line, yet he was careful not to walk on the cushions. Gill can't quite get the strength to get past the man on the boundary after taking on the sweep off a fast, into-the-pitch delivery from Narine. GT now needs 71 off 22 after he is out for 85 off 49.
Narine's numbers were 3.4-0-24-2. He continues to do this year after year.
Yes, Sai Sudharsan has returned to the crease.
GT is kept in the game by SaiSu and Buttler, around
6 4 0 4 1 6
Kartik Tyagi scored twenty-one runs off the eighteenth over. Sai Sudharsan started hitting the boundary almost immediately after returning to the crease, and Buttler finished the over with a classic flat six over wide long-off. GT requires 45 off 12 balls.
Dubey essentially seals it
Saurabh Dubey, a left-arm fast bowler playing in his second IPL match, had a great 19th over. Tall and capable of producing both bounce and seam movement when he enters the field, he has also made good use of his slower ball. Buttler goes on strike and holes out for 57 off 35 after Sai Sudharsan can only score three runs off the bat off the first four legal balls (there's a wide for height off a slower bouncer). This is Dubey's first IPL wicket.
After just five runs in that over, GT will now need to score forty runs in the last over, which will be bowled by Cam Green.
KKR triumphs by 29 runs
KKR is now in sixth position, only two points behind fourth-place Punjab Kings. They will play their final two games at home against the Delhi Capitals, who are one point behind KKR, and the Mumbai Indians, who are already eliminated from the playoffs.
Meanwhile, GT's winning run has ended. Excellent batting conditions at Eden Gardens have proven to be their undoing after five straight victories in circumstances that weaponized their bowlers and concealed their batting shortcomings. Finn Allen is a top-tier, futuristic weapon. The primary difference between the two teams that day was GT's deficiency, which aided him and KKR's other hitters in addition to one of their subpar on-field performances.
Dubey essentially seals it
Saurabh Dubey, a left-arm fast bowler playing in his second IPL match, had a great 19th over. Tall and capable of producing both bounce and seam movement when he enters the field, he has also made good use of his slower ball. Buttler goes on strike and holes out for 57 off 35 after Sai Sudharsan can only score three runs off the bat off the first four legal balls (there's a wide for height off a slower bouncer). This is Dubey's first IPL wicket.
After just five runs in that over, GT will now need to score forty runs in the last over, which will be bowled by Cam Green.
KKR triumphs by 29 runs
KKR is now in sixth position, only two points behind fourth-place Punjab Kings. They will play their final two games at home against the Delhi Capitals, who are one point behind KKR, and the Mumbai Indians, who are already eliminated from the playoffs.
Meanwhile, GT's winning run has ended. Excellent batting conditions at Eden Gardens have proven to be their undoing after five straight victories in circumstances that weaponized their bowlers and concealed their batting shortcomings. Finn Allen is a top-tier, futuristic weapon. The primary difference between the two teams that day was GT's deficiency, which aided him and KKR's other hitters in addition to one of their subpar on-field performances.
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