Skipper Shubman Gill’s sublime 90 off 55 balls and a disciplined bowling effort powered Gujarat Titans to a convincing 39-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Monday. On a tacky pitch that offered little pace, Gill led from the front, crafting an elegant knock studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Gill was well supported by Sai Sudharsan, who continued his golden run with a composed 52 off 36 balls — his fifth fifty in six games — becoming the first player to cross 400 runs this season and reclaim the Orange Cap. Their 114-run opening partnership laid the platform for GT’s competitive 198/3, which proved more than enough on a difficult batting surface.
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Defending the total, Gujarat’s bowlers struck early and often. Mohammed Siraj removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over, and Rashid Khan (2/25) broke through with the key wickets of Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. The Afghan spinner looked back to his best, mixing pace and length to exploit the slow track.
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KKR never recovered from their poor start, slumping to 159/8. The chase lost momentum during a 36-ball stretch without a boundary as Ajinkya Rahane (50) and Venkatesh Iyer (14) struggled against GT’s spinners.
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Prasidh Krishna (2/25) sealed the deal with two wickets in two balls — Ramandeep Singh and Moeen Ali — in the 17th over. Washington Sundar and Sai Kishore bowled tightly in the middle overs, conceding just 55 from six combined overs.
With their sixth win in eight matches, GT consolidated their position at the top of the table with 12 points, while KKR slipped further, losing their fifth match in eight games.
Brief Score:
Gujarat Titans: 198 for 3 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 90, Sai Sudharsan 52; Vaibhav Arora 1/44)
Kolkata Knight Riders: 159/8 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 50; Prasidh Krishna 2/25, Rashid Khan 2/25)
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