Gujarat Defeats Kolkata In Thrilling Clash; Hands KKR Its 5th Defeat In IPL 2026

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets in a thrilling IPL 2026 encounter on Friday. Batting first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a total of 180 runs for the loss of all wickets in 20 overs; in reply, Gujarat Titans clinched the match with two balls to spare, thanks to a commanding innings of 86 runs by captain Shubman Gill. Gujarat won the match by scoring 181 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 19.4 overs. This marks Gujarat's third victory of the ongoing season, while Kolkata Knight Riders have suffered their fifth defeat.

How Did Shubman Gill Perform?

Chasing a target of 181 runs, the opening pair of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill gave Gujarat Titans a strong start, adding 57 runs for the first wicket. Sunil Narine broke this partnership in the sixth over by dismissing Sai Sudharsan. Sai Sudharsan scored 22 runs off 16 balls, hitting one four and two sixes. Subsequently, in the 10th over, Varun Chakravarthy claimed the wicket of Jos Buttler. Buttler scored 25 runs off 15 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes.

Washington Sundar was dismissed as the third wicket to fall, having scored 13 runs. During this period, Shubman Gill completed his half-century and also claimed the 'Orange Cap' (for the leading run-scorer). In the 17th over, Vaibhav Arora sent Shubman Gill—who was well on his way to a century—back to the pavilion after he was caught out. Gill played an innings of 86 runs off 50 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes. On the very first ball of the 20th over, Ramandeep Singh dismissed Glenn Phillips, adding a dramatic twist to the match.

Glenn Phillips scored 19 runs off 16 balls. Gujarat Titans won the contest by five wickets, reaching 181 runs for the loss of five wickets in 19.4 overs. Rahul Tewatia remained unbeaten on 7 runs. For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy claimed two wickets. Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, and Sunil Narine each claimed one wicket.

The Gujarat Titans bundled out the Kolkata Knight Riders for 180 runs in their IPL clash on Friday. Batting first after winning the toss, KKR got off to a poor start, losing three wickets within the first four overs. The pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (3 wickets for 29 runs) and Mohammed Siraj (2 wickets for 23 runs) wreaked havoc with the new ball, dismantling the top order, while Ashok Sharma (2 wickets for 45 runs) and Prasidh Krishna (1 wicket for 32 runs) provided excellent support.

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Australian all-rounder Green steadied the innings following the early setbacks, scoring 79 runs off 55 balls, studded with seven fours and four sixes. He shared a 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Rovman Powell (27) and a 60-run stand for the fifth wicket with Anukul Roy (9). Green adopted a particularly aggressive approach against Rashid Khan, smashing five fours and four sixes; however, the Afghan spinner eventually dismissed him on the final ball of the innings, caught by the wicketkeeper.

Green also enjoyed a stroke of luck. He survived an early LBW appeal and was subsequently granted two reprieves on consecutive deliveries from Rashid in the 14th over. On the second ball of that over, Buttler missed a stumping opportunity, while on the very next delivery, Washington Sundar dropped a catch at the boundary. On both occasions, the ball raced away for four runs. Green was batting on 58 at that time. Due to the continuous fall of wickets at the other end, Green was unable to accelerate the scoring rate effectively in the final overs.

Earlier, Mohammed Siraj dealt KKR an early blow in the very first over by dismissing Ajinkya Rahane for a duck. Subsequently, Rabada dismissed Angkrish Raghuvanshi (8) with a magnificent outswinger, caught by the wicketkeeper. Tim Seifert (19), playing his first match of the season, struck some attractive shots, but Glenn Phillips took a brilliant catch off a short delivery from Rabada to dismiss him. Rinku Singh's poor form continued in this match as well; he was dismissed after scoring just one run, while Ramandeep Singh contributed 17 runs off eight balls. Powell batted aggressively for a while, but Ashok Sharma dismissed him with a slower delivery, breaking a 55-run partnership with Green.