Gujarat Titans crush KKR by 39 runs

KATHMANDU: In a high-voltage IPL encounter on Monday night at Eden Gardens, Gujarat Titans registered a dominant 39-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.

Batting first after losing the toss, Gujarat Titans posted a formidable total of 198 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs.

Skipper Shubman Gill led from the front with a blistering knock of 90 runs off 55 balls, laced with 10 fours and 3 sixes.

He was well supported by Sai Sudharsan, who contributed a solid 52, while Jos Buttler remained unbeaten with a quickfire 41*, bolstering the team’s total.

In response, Kolkata Knight Riders struggled to chase down the 199-run target, finishing at 159 for 8 in 20 overs.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 50, but the rest of the batting order failed to make significant contributions.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi remained unbeaten on 27, while Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Sunil Narine added 21, 17, and 14 respectively.

Gujarat’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, keeping the pressure on throughout the innings.

Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan took two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, and Sai Kishore picked up one apiece.

For Kolkata, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, and Andre Russell claimed one wicket each.

With this convincing win, Gujarat Titans climbed to the top of the points table with 12 points from 8 matches.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, remain at 6 points from 8 games, struggling to find consistency in the tournament.